I have to say something about my hair in India

I am so vain when it comes to my hair. I don't have particularly great hair - it is either partially curly, or partially straight. It takes so much product and equipment to get it to look halfway decent, but I obsess over it every morning. Perhaps it stems back to my troubled youth, where I endured so many perms I eventually took drastic measures to completely straighten it, lest I continue looking like an electrocuted poodle.

I talked to Mandy about how I was going to do my hair in India. I hate nothing more than to have a photo album full of vacation pictures of me with nappy hair. Should I take my hair dryer? Will I be able to use my flat iron? Mandy assured me that as long as I had an adapter, I'd be fine.

Um, obviously the hair dryer and flat iron did not work, and I feel I need to let you know that yes, I am fully aware that my hair looks terrible. My hair is naturally curly-ish, which has the potential to be really great. However, it's curly in some spots, completely stick-straight in others, and frizzy all-around. This is not a good combination for vacation-with-no-working-hair-dryer-or-flat-iron-hair. But now that I've posted all these pictures, I want to take you through my vacation-hair journey, and to the point where I just gave up.

Bad Hair Day 1: Andy's hotel in Delhi

After my shower, I plugged my hair dryer into Andy's adapter. Okay, it's working, wait, it's slowly petering out. It's getting quieter, drying more slowly...crap. Am I going to break his adapter? So I took a break from drying and plugged in my flat iron to let it warm up. Not wanting to break my hair dryer, I decided to just put my hair in a bun and flat iron my bangs. I hate having bangs when I can't straighten my hair - I get these curly q's at my temples, and it's just not good. So I decide, "Okay, I'll wear a bun today and try again tomorrow."

Hair on day 1: I'm not loving it, but at least the bangs are straight.

Bad Hair Day 2: Our hotel in Agra

I attempted to blow dry my hair again, but the dryer petered out. I thought, "If I can just get my bangs dry, I'll be okay." When I plugged in my flat iron, the red light flashed on and then off and then - zap! Crap - could I have possibly blown a fuse? No, it's probably just not working with the adapter, right? One more bun, and this time, I had to pin my bangs out of the way.

Hair on day 2: Grrr....

Bad Hair Day 3: Our Hotel in Jaipur

I'm not even going to take a picture here, because it just looks so bad. I don't know why I even brought my hair dryer and flat iron; at this point, all they are doing is taking up space and making Mintu curse when he lifts my heavy luggage into and out of the car. Sorry, Mintu.

Hair on day 3: Can't I just shave my head? I think they do that in India. I guess that would make it pointless for me to be dragging around this hair dryer and flat iron.

Bad Hair Day 4: Our Hotel in Udaipur

I have accepted the fact that my hair is going to be in a perma-bun while on this vacation. It actually doesn't look too bad here, and I think that maybe I have found peace and acceptance in my frizzy bun, but once I arrive at Lake Palace and see all the women with shiny, straight hair, I glower with envy at their coiffed shininess.

Hair on day 4: Okay, I accept it. It's really not too bad. And besides, maybe they'll have hair dryers and working adapters at Lake Palace.

Bad Hair Day 5: Lake Palace in Udaipur

When we get to our room, Andy was so excited to tell me that there is a hair dryer. I can't wait until after my swim to blow-dry and straighten my hair. Did I mention how vain I am? I blow-dry my hair, and it is straight, but still a little poufy and frizzy. And I still have those curly-q's at my temples. No worry, I can plug in my flat iron. Um, except it's not working. I really blew a fuse a few days ago, and it won't work! Now I'm completely hosed. I think Andy is surprised how mad I can get just because my hair looks like crap, but I try to smile through my frustration and thank him for fudging with the adapter to get my flat iron working, although to no avail. In the morning after my head massage, my hair is shiny with grease. I didn't have time to wash it before we had to check out, so all day long, it's like a shellacked helmet, sticky and immovable. Uh, all right. I guess at least now it's shiny...

Hair on day 5: Ew.

Bad Hair Days 6, 7, 8, and 9: Goa

I give up. I wanted to look my best for Andy, for him to see his wife as he remembered me - straight, mostly shiny hair, brown streaked with golden highlights. But there is absolutely nothing I can do about this mop. Pinned in a frizzy bun, it will stay until I return to America. You can't even see my highlights.

Hair on days 6 through 9: We're at the beach, so I really don't even care.

Bad Hair Day 10: Delhi

What a mess. I can't believe I have to wear this hairdo on a 19 hour flight from Delhi to Chicago, and Chicago to Denver. Not only does it look awful, it is going to be so uncomfortable to lean back against my seat.

Hair on day 10: I can't wait to wash, dry, and iron my hair. Only 24 more hours!

Good Hair Day 1: Colorado

I can't take a picture of myself, but trust me, my hair looks good. Although I did blow a fuse, and my flat iron is no longer working. At least it's straight, somewhat shiny, and I'm feeling like myself again.