Don't worry, I didn't forget

With my move around the corner, I've been packing, purging, and planning. I've also been wishing my leases didn't run out right when the temperatures start to rise. Packing is significantly less fun when it is above 80.

After moving quite a bit in the past few years, I've learned that you have to decide to either love or hate the process. I've decided to embrace it, and even anticipate certain aspects. One of my favorite parts is the purging stage. This move has required a bit more since my new place is smaller (side note: you know you're moving up when you are paying more for a smaller space - irony). So far, I've thrown away five bags and donated four. I'm not even one to hold on to stuff, so this is really getting down to the bare bones at this point. It's amazingly refreshing.

I've spent hours going through things - even things that I have skipped over in the past. I've found letters, pictures, cards, and gifts. I came across the magazine I bought for my mom while she was in the waiting room during my tests last year. I found a note from a friend that I haven't spoken to in almost two years, with an inside joke I had forgotten about. Pictures with old roommates, old life-long friends. All of them have been reminders of people I have known and a person I have been at one time. Some have been great surprises, some have been bittersweet. All of them have been helpful as I prepare for a few giant transitions in my life.

I took a break and spent my Memorial Day with some pretty awesome people. The weather was beautiful and I needed a break and some social interaction. We grilled out (so much fresh and delicious food!), played an intense game of backyard volleyball, went through a few rounds of corn hole, and then ended the evening with a bonfire. These events aren't that unusual or spectacular. I'm guessing that millions of people had a very similar day. What was most interesting to me was the group that ended up together.

At the end of the day, having sorted through so much of my life, I couldn't help but notice that the people who have stayed around are pretty surprising. When I was younger, I always tried to find people that were like me. I looked for similar interests or beliefs. Now, I have this whole jumbled group of people who all believe different things and may or may not have a single interest in common with me. And it works beautifully. Some of my current closest friends are people I didn't even like at first, and now, I can't imagine not having them around. Some people that I had counted as "old friends" have also re-entered the picture and I couldn't be happier. Never close the door, folks.

I have a little box city forming in my dining room right now. These are all of the things that will go with me this time. This apartment holds very few memories, but I'm already excited about the new place. A housewarming party is in the works, people are volunteering to help paint, and I have friends in the neighborhood who will be spending many an evening there. I will never, ever say that past relationships have been wrong, but this time in life feels amazingly right. Thanks for the memories, guys!