Goodbye, Herbal Essence

When I was taking my shower today, I finished the last bit of my Herbal Essence conditioner. I bet you’re thinking two things. 1. OMG, it took her 4 months to finish a bottle of conditioner!! How often does that smelly girl shower? 2. So you finished a bottle of conditioner. It’s just conditioner! Throw the bottle away, buy a new one, and stop pouting, you big baby.

To the first comment, I shower enough for now, okay?!?! I even get to shower more than some of the other volunteers. Once winter comes along and the pipes freeze, I’ll shower less than now. It’s an unfortunate “experience” that comes with working in the Peace Corps. But it’s not like I came here with the expectations of having the same standard of living as I did in America.

And to the second comment, it was a sad moment. I love Herbal Essence conditioner. It took me several years to find the conditioner I liked best, and I have been using it ever since. And now, it is no more. I must use Moldovan conditioner. Additionally, my herbal essence conditioner was one of the last things with a smell that reminded me of America/home. And while I’m getting used to Moldovan smells, I miss the ones that remind me of home. Although I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the smell of burning trash. Yuck.

Because I recognized this momentous occasion would soon take place, I prepped myself for this unfortunate event by buying new conditioner a couple weeks ago, which was not an easy task in Moldova. I could only find shampoo. And anytime there was a bottle that looked like it might be conditioner, it was written in Russian, so I had no way of reading it. I’m still half worried I bought lotion instead. That will not help with the greasy mess I now call my hair! But despite the fact I was “ready” for this, when I squeezed out the very last drop, my shoulders dropped and I was sad.

Change happens. Sometimes, change is not good or bad. It is just change. But sometimes, I hold on so tightly to small, insignificant things, that I begin to taint an experience or lose perspective. I’m so busy looking back that I don’t see what is right in front of me, or the possibilities that could be coming. I let myself be distracted from the bigger picture, and I let myself get in my own way. I may not like the change, but dealing with it is just a part of life, and it is most definitely a part of the Peace Corps.

I will be perfectly fine with Moldovan conditioner. In fact, after a couple weeks, I won’t even think about what kind of conditioner I’m using any other time than when I’m showering. When I shower, I will remember that I’m using some make-do conditioner, and not MY conditioner. And I’ll pout, but then I’ll move on.

You know, I think I love Herbal Essence even more now since it’s helping me grow up and mature. Maybe they should include that function in their next commercial.