PORT ANGELES, Wash. — The phones were ringing off the hook at SmartStyle Salon in Port Angeles, with reservations piling up as people look for a new 'do after being in quarantine for months.
"I tried doing the quarantine hair at home thing," said customer Brittany Nesler. "It turned it yellow. Now I can get that fixed!"
With the 10-week statewide lockdown now over, more counties are moving into Phase 2 of the recovery process. That means restaurants can reopen at 50% capacity and retail can open at 30% capacity.
Barbershops and salons can reopen as well, but they'll look quite different.
No more than 10 people can be in SmartStyle at a time.
Customers are greeted with temperature checks and hand sanitizer.
Everyone must wear a mask, and it is appointment only -- no walk-ins.
"That's gonna be a little tough because we get so many walk-ins," says manager Kayla Reuther.
The stylists work on commission, so cutting their clientele will make for trimmed down paychecks.
Reuther says the shop is already booked up until Friday. Customers can't wait to get back in the chair, but safety has to be everyone's top priority.
"There still is that eerie feeling, but for the most part with the protocols that we're following, I feel good about having clients in here and me being in here as well," says Reuther.
On this day one of reopening, however, the streets of downtown Port Angeles were still quite empty -- a sign that any recovery may not be quick.
For now, people are simply taking comfort in the return of little things, hoping better days are ahead.
"It feels really good going back to how it used to be," she says. "I'm hoping soon we can all just get past this and be living life to its fullest as we all want to."