Alaska Sunshine

It has been an absolutely astounding week here in Anchorage. The rare kind of week where there is more sun than cloud. We broke into the 60's, even. And I am getting some sun!

Anyway, I just wanted to express joy over the sun... but it's not that fun to blog about the weather.

Home Sweet Home

I have a bed!

Oh, it is blissful!

I am so excited to sleep over springs and a mattress, and elevated off of the ground tonight.

It will be lovely.

We Have Furniture!

Not a lot of furniture, but some!

So, yesterday and today our friend is out of town... so he let Steph and I borrow his truck. Yes, that's right- we had a truck for 36 hours! Oh, bliss!

And did we get good usage out of this truck? Oh, yeah... we bought a great big chair! He's a chair and a half size thing, and so comfy, and was only $30 on Craig's List, and almost brand new. I slept in him last night... mmm, so much better than the floor!

Also, we got a microwave, and a tall floor lamp, and some wall clocks, and a small bookshelf, and Steph bought herself an air mattress, because that's better than the floor, too.

So, I spent last night cleaning and organizing things. All of my stuff is put away, and our house is starting to look like a home! Hooray!

Craig's List...

... is useless when you don't have a truck.

Today I got all moved in to my new apartment in Anchorage. We don't have any furniture. There are people trying to get rid of stuff on Craig's List, but I can't go get anything. So basically looking for stuff was a pointless exercise.

Moving, Part Two

I'm sitting in the Salt Lake Airport right now, waiting for my flight to Anchorage. Actually, waiting for my flight to Phoenix, where I'll connect to my flight to Anchorage. It doesn't leave for another 3 hours, but my roommate's flight is in an hour, and she kindly gave me a ride to Salt Lake.

My bags are checked in. The big one weighed in at 49.5 pounds... but that's ok, because it's off!

I'm officially on my way to Anchorage. Exciting!

Moving

I officially hate packing.

Here's the situation:

I moved out to school 4 years ago with 2 suitcases full to their brims with my things, and a big box in the mail. I then proceeded to buy more stuff. And to be given more stuff. And to buy even more stuff. It's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate over 4 years.

Then, I decided to graduate. And move. To Alaska... so, not exactly nearby.

So, I started to go through my room. And I was reminded of something about myself: I like to keep stuff. I like to hold on to it, just in case I need it. I like to give it away, in case someone else could get good use out of it. I like to recycle it into materials for new, exciting projects. I do not like throwing it out.

However, there simply is not room to take all of the stuff I have gathered through my college career to Anchorage. I'm flying. That means I have to limit myself. So.

Suitcase 1: For $23, I am flying every good item of clothing that I own and a large quilt with me to AK. Also, 2 pairs of shoes and including all of my coats and jackets.

Suitcase 2: For an additional $32, I am taking the crappy clothes that I need to work in, more bedding, and most of my other shoes. Also, all of my toiletries.

Suitcase 3: As my carry on luggage I am taking paper. Piano music, official documents, scrapbook of my family... Also, my sheets, towels, and more shoes. A few other odds and ends might make it in on the very top.

Bag: My "personal item" is a very large, dumpy, tote. It will be carrying my laptop, scriptures, camera, iPod, wallet, etc... and I don't think I'll be able to quite close it shut, technically. Oh, well.

In addition to looking like a crazy lady as I wheel my veritable heaps of stuff around the airport (oh, yeah! That's gonna be exciting!) I will be shipping boxes.

Box 1: TO ANCHORAGE. I am sending up my cookbook and recipe file, my board games, yet another blanket (wow, it sounds like I have just tons of bedding... I promise it's just spread out!) DVDs, CDs, and other small odds and ends that are going to be necessities eventually, and that I couldn't convince myself to toss out and replace when I got there.

Box 2: TO CHANTILLY. I am sending home my textbooks. Not all of them, but the ones that I want to keep. I don't figure I'll want them in Anchorage, but I'll want them eventually.

In addition to all of this, I have thrown out 5 and 1/2 garbage bags of old papers, bags, half-used toiletries, class notes, tired school supplies, and just plain trash. I have bagged up an additional 2 garbage bags of clothes that are in good condition but that I don't love. I have thrown all of my good school supplies and my printer into a box to give my sister who'll be a freshman here next year. I've taken some of my school stuff up to the Cluff building to leave it for anyone who may want it in the future. I've left a cupboard full of food that may or may not be used at some point. And I have about another medium-sized box-worth of stuff that survived the first major room-purging, but hasn't yet made the cut for getting packed up for a trip to AK. Don't know what the eventual fate of those things will be.

This has been quite the struggle. I don't like throwing things out. At all. I like to have them forever. But it's necessary- I can't just keep everything forever! So, let the packing continue... a day and a half til I'm off!