Well, I made it to my new home! (a month and a week ago) And now I finally have the Internet to tell you how I got here. Despite the fact that I didn’t have the Internet, I did have a computer. I wrote down a few potential blog posts so I wouldn’t have to sum up the past month and a half in one long, boring post. And because reading a bunch of blog posts all at once is overwhelming too, I’ll add one on a fairly regular basis until I’m caught up. So, without more ado, here is the first installment for your reading pleasure!
I have moved a few times in the last ten years, but none of my previous moves have felt as permanent or as big as this one. Not even moving to Indiana, although that comes close. Since there was a time limit on how long I would be living in an area, it never seemed necessary to cart everything worth keeping with me. This move seems different somehow. I have no idea how long I’ll be here, and there’s no time limit glaring down at me.
Because I could potentially be here for a very long while, I determined it was time to go through all of the things I had hidden away at my parents’ house and either take it with me or toss it. At times I was quite ruthless. For example, I threw away most of the notes I took in college. That may not seem ruthless to you, but I took a lot of notes. That was a lot of work I was throwing away. Other times I was sentimental. For example, how could I throw away the folder full of stories I wrote in sixth grade? I was quite the creative little tyke! Why I’m not the same way now is beyond me.
Oddly enough, the older something was, the harder it was for me to throw it away. It was like I had a brief glimpse into a different person’s life. I couldn’t just throw their stuff away! And yet I know that I’m never going to use any of it. I brought those things with me anyway. Maybe the next time I move I’ll go through it all again and throw more stuff out. In the meantime, does anyone out there have a rule you follow as to what you keep and what you throw out?
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3 comments:
It's hard to throw stuff away! I still have all my college notes, and really, I think I'll have them forever.
I don't think I really have or follow any real guidelines... I try to be objective and think if I'll really miss the thing (or even think about it ever again). But if I fret too much about it, I just keep it. I try to go through things often enough that if I don't throw it away one time, maybe I will the next time and it won't sit around for two years in the meantime. Did that even make sense? Anyway.
Hurray, you made it! That is a big move to make, and I'm glad you had a Chesty Jacob to keep you company ;) I can't wait to hear all about your adventures settling in!
The only insight I can share is that I, like you, brought many mementos from my past with me when I moved to Indiana. Each time I've had to move since that big move (in which I brought all my belongings from my parents' house), I've found it easier to part with more stuff. Also, you might think about digitizing (and backing up) things that are scannable. That way you can discard the paper artifact and give yourself more space/less stuff to lug around/store. This method works particularly well for thing like your collection of stories from grade school :-)
Virginia, I didn't even think of scanning old documents! You are a genius!
And Julie, I do the same thing you do. Especially after spending hours going through stuff, I found I was keeping more just because I'd been going at it for so long that the line between what should be kept and what should be tossed got very blurry. I'm sure I'll be doing the same thing again the next time I go through those boxes.
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