Packing -- we hates it

​ I. Hate. Moving. 
More specifically I hate physically packing and moving. I actually really enjoy unpacking and getting settled in a new place, but the whole packing and schlepping of things leading up to it? Ugh. Hate it. I like things a certain way, but it would take epically longer to pack everything to my OCD standards. So some things are sort of organized, but the rest of it is just shoved into boxes and bags and I have no idea where about 90% of my stuff is. Hate. It. Seriously, I've been so tired and stressed lately that I feel like I sound like Gollum when I talk about it......

​But for real......I hate moving. After running through the list, I've figured out that I've moved 21 times in the past decade. Don't believe me? Check this out:
1) Fall 2006 -- Moved into freshman dorm
2) Summer 2007 -- Moved out of dorm and back home
3) Fall 2007 -- Moved into sophomore dorm
4) Summer 2008 -- Moved out of dorm and back home

• I was going to be living in an on-campus apartment that I could've walked all of my stuff to, but we weren't able to move in until 2 weeks later because of the graduating seniors and the cleaning crew. But they also wouldn't let us stay in the dorm for those 2 weeks. I've heard of other schools make those sort of exceptions, but not Otterbein. Oh no............

5) 2 weeks later -- Moved into on-campus apartment
6) Summer 2009 -- Moved out of apartment and back home
7) 1 week later -- Moved into friend's house for the remainder of summer
8) Late August 2009 -- Move back home
9) Fall 2009 -- Moved to NYC for internship
10) Winter 2009 -- Moved back home
11) Winter 2009 -- Moved into off-campus apartment with friends
12) Summer 2010 -- Moved back home
13) Summer 2010 -- Moved into friend's house
14) December 2010 -- Moved into Clintonville townhouse
15) March 2013 -- Moved in with Will (Campus apartment)
16) Summer 2013 -- Moved into Millersport apartment temporarily
17) August 2013 -- Moved to Nashville
18) August 2014 -- Moved back into Millersport apartment
19) August 2015 -- Moved into Worthington condo
20) June 2016 -- Moved out of Worthington condo (currently in limbo with family)
21) SOON -- Move to condo in Laguna Vista

Some of you may not consider the moves in and out of dorms "real moves," but I do. It's amazing what you can cram into those small spaces............I still had to pack and schlep each time, so therefore it was a "move."

That list was fascinating, wasn't it?

​Regardless.................since the place we're moving into is already furnished, we've taken this opportunity to purge. We've been hanging on to SO many things we don't use, don't need, or have kept for reasons we can't even remember. Papers, old clothes, knick knacks, certain kitchen things I never use...........just things that waste space.
We have had a giant box of miscellaneous cords for probably 3 years. To my knowledge we haven't used any of the cords in that box for the entirety of those 3 years. We have like 5 coax cables.......why??? We haven't had cable in like 4 years. There are old apple cords that don't fit any of the devices we have...........and so many freaking AV cables that we will never use, it's ridiculous. We've just schlepped the box from apartment to apartment -- from Columbus to Millersport, to Nashville, back to Millersport, and back to Columbus. USELESS. I have absolutely no idea why we've kept even half of what's in there.

So we've donated as many things as possible, and sold things and thrown out the rest. We still have a decent amount of stuff, but it feels really good to "lighten the load," so to speak. It's forced me to be really honest with myself about what I actually use and what I've been holding onto for no good reason. It's been freeing.

I think life is kind of like that in general. Sometimes we hold onto things (and people) for no good reason. I'm not advocating that you purposefully burn bridges or tell everyone to go screw themselves.........but some things and people are toxic, and it's not healthy to hang onto them. Sort of like that saying, "The hardest thing in life is learning which bridge to cross and which to burn."

I'm happy, and my path in life -- although kind of squirrelly -- is the path I was supposed to take............but that doesn't mean that I haven't picked up clutter along the way. There is physical clutter in my life, but also emotional and mental clutter. Sometimes spring cleaning needs to go beyond our homes and physical belongings. I'm ready to burn down some stuff in my life and start fresh. And I don't mean that I'm going to leave with middle fingers raised -- it's not like that. I just need to lighten the load in many ways and free myself from not only the burdens others have placed on me, but those ones I've placed on myself.

So even though I hate packing and moving, this is the perfect time to not only purge the physical clutter in my life, but start to let go of the toxic things in my life that have been holding me back. We're not even done moving yet and I already feel a little lighter. It's freeing. ​Texas here we come.