Not As Hard

I came home with a car full of boxes. I threw out five or six bags of trash, and I brought home ten or twelve small boxes, plus a few other things, and two of those boxes were filled with books to bring to school, so in the end, I don't think it's all that much that I brought back with me. I left behind one trash bag full of clothes and toys, and two medium-sized boxes full of household stuff ready to be donated to someone who will use those things. I also left an empty dresser, filing cabinet, stacking bins, bookshelf, and desk. My closet is organized, my bookshelves have been combed through and consolidated, I only have one box in my parents' attic, and most of the "stuff" that was scattered around my room has been removed.

Overall, the process was a lot less emotional than I thought it might be. I gave myself permission to keep things that mattered and to put aside decisions about things that I really couldn't decide about, and that helped immensely. A lot of people have the attitude that, since I haven't used these things in years, that they must not matter too much, and I should just throw everything out. In some ways, that might have been easier, but I'm glad I took the time to make decisions about what I needed and wanted to keep.

So now I have to find homes for the things that I brought with me. Most of them, I have an idea for already. Books on the bookshelves, figurines on some floating shelves from Ikea, artwork on the walls, etc. The biggest project is going to be to run all my photos through the scanner so I can get rid of some of the scrapbooks and cards I have left over from junior high and high school. I already threw away 90% of that stuff, but there are a few bits lingering around that I have craft projects planned for as well.

And so, life goes on.