I am leaving Boston in one week (I know, crazy right!) and am feeling a mixture of emotions. I’m obviously excited about the new life and experiences that await me, but I’m also extremely nervous, unsure what to expect and have so much to do and not enough time to get everything done before I leave. I have lived here for 7 years, basically my entire adult life, which I still cannot believe when I say it. I am definitely sad to leave so many wonderful friends and the life I have built for myself here in Massachusetts.
Its amazing the amount of things one person can accumulate over the course of 7 years – an Annie’s Clark Brunch mug, Clark U memorabilia, Various Election CHUM ’04-’08 (pins, posters, lit, etc.) and other little things that I’ve collected over the years. I now find myself needing to go through everything to determine what to keep for storage at my parent’s house in New York. Unfortunately, I’ve inherited a condition I like to call “pack-rat-ism” and tend to attach sentimental value to most of my belongings. Like all of my brand new furniture – my first major purchase since graduating college in 2006. The idea of selling it for much less than I just paid only 5 months ago seemed completely out of the question, especially after the hours I slaved putting it together. But soon enough reality set in that it would actually cost me more to move the furniture than it originally cost me. Then there is my car – which I have had since senior year of high school (lots of memories); I was finally convinced that it made more sense to sell it. Unfortunately, time is not on my side with any of this. I am having enough trouble finding a sub-letter for the 2 mos remaining on my apartment lease than finding someone to buy my car or bed.
A friend told me once that you can truly be free when you are free of your worldly possessions that keep you rooted. I’ve always felt comfortable being rooted, which is why I think all this change at one time has been an experience in itself. I’m that person who dips their feet in the pool first and then slowly wades in – I’m not the cannon-baller who makes the big splash. Well, I do like to make a splash from time to time as most of you already know – but I am usually more tactful and plan the splash in advance. So I guess I’m taking everything in stride, trying to say my goodbyes to the people I care about, while also prepping myself for my summer of travel and living abroad. Maybe my decision to chop-off 12+ inches of my hair was rooted in my attempts to adapt to the changes that await me in the next couple months. I guess you could say I stuck my toes in the water.
All in all I am ready to begin the next chapter in my life . . . my possessions are almost all gone, my hair is gone . . . and soon enough so will I.
UPDATES ON MY PREP:
LANGUAGE: I can now read Cyrillic at the pace of a Kindergardener, though I don’t know what I am reading. And I can count to twenty, say thank you, please and “how much does that/this cost?” Hopefully, I’ll be able to teach myself more over the next 2 months.
HOUSING: Yeah, still working on that one. Its very difficult to figure out 3 months in advance and several thousand miles away.
PASSPORT: I’ve got my renewed passport – and finally a good picture :)
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