Destination: College Station

Moving for the first time is a life changing experience. As an adult, I mean. I've moved before, but that was back when my parents did most of the packing for me. Although...come to think of it, that's not much different from this time.

Kidding, kidding.

But seriously. I always knew I had a lot of stuff. All of those things that you accumulate throughout the years, all of those things that are far too important to throw away, even though you probably wouldn't notice if they went missing. Those things also happen to be the same things, the same stuff that you just can't fathom leaving at home when you're moving to a new place.

I know this. It has just happened to me.

This last Thursday my parents and I loaded up a UHAUL full of stuff and headed down to College Station to move me in to my new apartment. Naturally this meant that I didn't finish packing until the morning of the move. Even as I was pawing through my things, making last minute decisions about what I could and couldn't live without, I started to realize something. I have so much stuff that I don't even have the energy to pack it all, much less UNpack it, reorganize it, find a new place for it.

And so this begs the question...

Do I have too much stuff?

If all of the junk, odds and ends, books, clothes, shoes, amount to more than I'm willing to load up and bring with me, one could argue that maybe I should try getting rid of some things. And yet somehow it always seems like instead, I just buy more.

For example, after halving my possessions and transferring them to my new place, I realized that the first thing I needed to do was--you guessed it--buy MORE stuff. I mean, it's not all my fault because let's face it, before now I've never needed stuff like that for myself. I had some of that stuff at home, but not here. And I've never shopped for a dining room/living room/kitchen before. Not really. But still.

Considering all of the stuff I brought, we managed to get unpacked pretty fast. The most tiring part was probably my Dad's--He got the noble task of building my bed, desk, chair, and nightstand. And he got the bed done almost right after we got to the apartment and unloaded the UHAUL, which happened to be at about 8:30, or 9. Pretty much way later than we'd planned on getting there. So thanks to him, I had a place to sleep the first night. Everything else got built on Day 2, and on Day 3 decorations started happening. It feels much more homey now, and I'm settling in pretty well. Minor separation anxiety happening, but I'm an only child who is very close to my parents, so I've definitely got some adjusting to do. And I'm not the only one. My dog, Tucker, is still getting used to this new place and he's really missing our backyard at home. The way I see it, that just means I'll have to take him back every now and again.

I found pretty quickly that the biggest problem with getting all new stuff for a move is that now--when I look around my room-- nothing is familiar. I didn't initially bring much besides clothes, odds and ends. The big ticket items, the most noticeable items in the room (such as the bed, the desk...) all new. All more or less unfamiliar. All have only ever existed in my life since moving to College Station. Still, it feels pretty comfortable. Having Tucker with me, my trusty four-pawed sidekick, definitely helps it feel like home.

And for those of you who haven't had a chance to video chat with your friends and family online-- you're seriously missing out! It's actually quite...a relief, I suppose, to be able to see familiar faces as you're hearing familiar voices. Just make sure you don't pick your nose or anything, because they can actually see you. This is a very important fact to remember.

Anyway, I've done it. I've made the move. Soon I'll be starting classes at Texas A&M. (WHOOP!) And my room will continue to accumulate more stuff that I won't like/want/need near as much when I eventually have to move again, but for now I'm not worried about that. For now, I look forward to new experiences, new people, and furthering that good ol' education. Oh, and how anxious I am about starting classes. Positive thinking! Maybe that's the key...

As always, more later...