Boxes and Packing Tape

I'm moving out on Friday. Leaving Kansas for good. I'm not really sad. Like Gillian Welch, I've been in the lowlands too long. Lawrence is a really cool little town. I have some great friends here, a church that I like, a nice house, but it's just time to go. I moved here knowing that I would only stay as long as it would take to finish my MA. Now that I'm done, it's time to go. I wish I could say I was feeling sad and nostalgic, but really, I'm just feeling relieved.

It's a really nice feeling to get rid of clothes, pictures, papers, and other stuff that I just don't want any more. I want to pack as little as possible. For as long as I can remember, I've been a pack-rat. Seriously, I keep everything. Now, I think I'm just so excited about a new start and moving on to whatever's next that I feel the freedom to throw things away. I don't want any extra baggage. God only knows where I'll be next, I don't want any hinderances. If I'm going to be moving to a third-world country, I won't need every birthday card I've ever received.

I just cleaned out my closet. I think I have 1 week's worth of clothes now. And I'm totally thrilled about that. I'm going to be in training all summer so I won't need any civilian clothes or shoes. And when I get done it'll be fall, I hope to have a job and new place and money to buy a few new things.

It's cathartic to get rid of all my old stuff. I think I'm finally ready to leave college life and venture into the 'real world.' So I'm putting some stuff in frozen food and booze boxes, wrapping some tape around them and packing up this part of my life. Time for the next chapter.