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!

Graduation

So, I'm not feeling very inspired to write about graduation, but I feel like I should commemorate being done and moving on from this chapter of my life at some point. Anyway, I'm graduating today. It's been 17 years since I started going to school, plus two years of joy school before kindergarten. So it's still not quite sinking in that I'm done. But I am... and tomorrow I'll have a diploma cover to prove it!

Anger Management

Do you ever have those days where you just want to bop people right on the top of their little heads? I have been feeling like those heads around me are in severe jeopardy lately.

It's just that people are different than me, and it annoys me.

Also, I haven't been getting much sleep, so I'm intolerant of other opinions.

I haven't decapitated anyone yet. I'm hoping that I keep up that streak. Wish me luck.

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Like Jewel, you know.

Anyway, early tomorrow morning I'm headed to Atlanta for a week of fun networking and competition. It'll be so good. I'm excited.

And then I'll come back for finals and graduation, and to pack up my life from the last 4 years.

And about 3 weeks from then, I'll be going on another jet plane, this time to Anchorage, where I will start grown-up life.

Too bad I hate Airports.

Happy Easter Week

Dream Job

I wish I could be a food critic. I would just love eating yummy foods, and getting to try whatever I wanted without having to pay for it. Do you ever have trouble choosing what to order because it all looks so good? I do. Often. Just ask Keith.

Anyway, if I were a food critic I would just say "Bring me one of everything!" and they would. And they would make sure it was their very best, because I am, after all, going to judge them.

And then comes the tricky part. Because I'm not a very good judger. I typically like everything I am blessed to eat, unless I make it or it's just really truly gross. So. I would be a not very critical food critic. Hence why I have to be a landscaper instead.

Bummer.

DC Adventure

Well, we're back from adventuring.

We had a super fun vacation! Mostly we spent time with my family. Also, we took Friday afternoon and went downtown to sightsee a little.

We had a pretty awesome weekend. Thursday we worked in the yard with my family. Also, for lunch we had the most delicious BBQ ever. We cleaned out our flowerbeds, went to a nursery and then spread mulch. After that, there was dinner and family games- we played Killer Bunnies, which made Nathan quite excited.

Friday Keith and I went downtown. We rode the Metro into town and went to the Smithsonian. We visited the American History museum, where Keith got really excited about the guns and weapons that were in a history of war exhibit. Next we went to the Natural History museum, and saw dinosaurs, the Hope diamond, and some insects. Ick. Next we went to find some lunch. We walked far, far away from where we thought we were going for lunch, but stumbled upon Potbelly's Sandwich Works, which was absolutely delicious. Then we went to the Air&Space museum, and saw planes and rockets. Do you know the difference between planes and jet planes? I didn't before, but now I do. Kinda. Anyway, after that, we walked up the mall to the Washington, WWII, and Lincoln memorials. Then, we found the nearest Metro station (which wasn't really all that close by) and rode home.

Saturday morning the family was sleeping in, so I drove Keith around to see a few places where I grew up, and we ran some errands for my mother. We also went out for birthday lunch to a new Mexican restaurant, which was delicious. It was so yum. I mean it. Seriously good. After that, I went furniture shopping with my mom and Em, and Keith helped my Dad hide some speaker wires in the walls. Then my mom and Em and I went and got the best cupcakes I'd ever eaten at Wegman's. Then my sisters and parents all dispersed for different events, and Keith and I got wrangled into a game of Monopoly with my brother Nathan.

Sunday we had church and family stuff. It wasn't a super eventful day, but it was good. Just family dinner and games and dessert. It was a good day.

We left to fly home early early Monday morning. It was early. But it was a good trip.