Wading Through Stuff
It's official: I've accumulated a lot of shit over the years. Today I went through the boxes in the basement from my move back home 2 years ago. The stuff in those boxes has be basically untouched for those 2 years, except for the few times when I've needed something and used my spidey sense to locate which box said item was in. I kid you not--each time I attempted this, I was right on my first guess, even though all the boxes look the same.
Back to the point: lots of shit: I got rid of lots of stuff I don't need anymore. Much of it was paper. Paper samples from trade shows, old notebooks filled to the gills with my notes from my college classes, old sketches, folders, magazines. The only paper stuff I kept were some photos and post cards. Without knowing it, I seem to have amassed a decent little post card collection.
It does feel good to purge so much stuff. Just knowing it's gone makes me feel lighter. It's also nice to note that I'm not as attached to stuff anymore, or at least not attached to stuff for the same reasons. It's odd to rifle through a notebook and have memories race back that I haven't thought about since they happened. Is it important to hold onto that stuff though? In 20 years do I really want to recall the ins and outs of my very first typography assignment, or read my theories about Theseus and his struggle during his time spent as a slave? Maybe in 20 years I'll be sad that I won't have those details, but honestly for now, I'm happy to be rid of it.
Besides the tons of paper that's now resting on the curb waiting for the recycling guys to pick it up tomorrow, I discovered that I have a whole lot of kitchen stuff.
I got rid of a lot of stuff I don't or won't want, but tomorrow I'll have to re-box the "treasures" I want to hold unto for when I decide to "settle" somewhere. For this adventure, however, I've decided to travel light.
I thought I'd take at least some essentials with me in my suitcases, but looking through it all, I really think I would be better off to buy some cheap decent looking stuff at IKEA; items that I won't mind using, but that I also won't be sad to leave behind if and when I move somewhere else. Among the treasures I'm keeping: lampshades with red polka dots on them, a white classy looking vase, red wooden shoes (the kind with windmills painted on them), large awesome frying pan/pot that's just too heavy and awkward to take with be but is awesome, string of ceramic chili peppers, string of ceramic lemons, set of flatware from my ancestors' company (yup, my ancestors made knives!). So far that's it, but I still have some boxes in the garage to sift through tomorrow.
I'm getting a haircut tomorrow. I don't necessarily need one. In fact I definitely don't need one, but the cut I have now won't grow out in a flattering way. Even now, when it's still cute, the front part of my hair looks a little heavy and weighted down. As my hair grows, the effect will just be more pronounced, I will start to look like I have floppy ears. Since I have dachshunds, I have to be careful that I don't start to look too much like them, so the haircut is necessary.
Honestly, I'm a wee bit nervous, but I don't want to be that girl who got traumatized by one haircut and then never went back, and her hair grew and grew until she became famous for her 9ft long hair or whatever. So I'm going to be brave and go back and request a haircut that will grow out gracefully and hope he doesn't interpret that as a mohawk.
I was also thinking about getting an iPhone before I leave; not sure when I could squeeze this in, but I do need to see about getting a Portland number (I'm going to bestow my awesome phone number to my mom so I won't lose it if I decide to come back, but I hear it's helpful in convincing people that you really plan to stay, for jobs and such, if you get a local Portland number. I wonder if giving my mom my old phone number is a good idea though, now that I think about it... I still do get random text messages from random guys now and again, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't know how to read a text message anyway.)
Friday I get to play freelance photographer for a few hours in Baltimore.
Saturday night I might be having a going away dinner, but at this point I think it might just be me and jesnie. Which would be fun; then it could just be casual thing and we could like go to Potbelly and walk around the Inner Harbor or something.
Sunday my brother and his kids are here to "help around the house" which means he'll do yard work while my mom (and probably me) chase the kids around. That's ok, but at this point it's another day I could use to get ready, so we'll see what happens.
Monday no plans. Oh wait yes plans: GET READY TO FLY TO PORTLAND THE NEXT DAY. I still have some research to do concerning taxis from the airport to my friends house. At least since it seems that I'm cutting down on some luggage, it shouldn't be such a juggling act getting out of the airport.
Sigh. I'm starting to realize I'm not very good at time management.
I suppose sometime during all this, I really need to start packing. :)
Back to the point: lots of shit: I got rid of lots of stuff I don't need anymore. Much of it was paper. Paper samples from trade shows, old notebooks filled to the gills with my notes from my college classes, old sketches, folders, magazines. The only paper stuff I kept were some photos and post cards. Without knowing it, I seem to have amassed a decent little post card collection.
It does feel good to purge so much stuff. Just knowing it's gone makes me feel lighter. It's also nice to note that I'm not as attached to stuff anymore, or at least not attached to stuff for the same reasons. It's odd to rifle through a notebook and have memories race back that I haven't thought about since they happened. Is it important to hold onto that stuff though? In 20 years do I really want to recall the ins and outs of my very first typography assignment, or read my theories about Theseus and his struggle during his time spent as a slave? Maybe in 20 years I'll be sad that I won't have those details, but honestly for now, I'm happy to be rid of it.
Besides the tons of paper that's now resting on the curb waiting for the recycling guys to pick it up tomorrow, I discovered that I have a whole lot of kitchen stuff.
I got rid of a lot of stuff I don't or won't want, but tomorrow I'll have to re-box the "treasures" I want to hold unto for when I decide to "settle" somewhere. For this adventure, however, I've decided to travel light.
I thought I'd take at least some essentials with me in my suitcases, but looking through it all, I really think I would be better off to buy some cheap decent looking stuff at IKEA; items that I won't mind using, but that I also won't be sad to leave behind if and when I move somewhere else. Among the treasures I'm keeping: lampshades with red polka dots on them, a white classy looking vase, red wooden shoes (the kind with windmills painted on them), large awesome frying pan/pot that's just too heavy and awkward to take with be but is awesome, string of ceramic chili peppers, string of ceramic lemons, set of flatware from my ancestors' company (yup, my ancestors made knives!). So far that's it, but I still have some boxes in the garage to sift through tomorrow.
I'm getting a haircut tomorrow. I don't necessarily need one. In fact I definitely don't need one, but the cut I have now won't grow out in a flattering way. Even now, when it's still cute, the front part of my hair looks a little heavy and weighted down. As my hair grows, the effect will just be more pronounced, I will start to look like I have floppy ears. Since I have dachshunds, I have to be careful that I don't start to look too much like them, so the haircut is necessary.
Honestly, I'm a wee bit nervous, but I don't want to be that girl who got traumatized by one haircut and then never went back, and her hair grew and grew until she became famous for her 9ft long hair or whatever. So I'm going to be brave and go back and request a haircut that will grow out gracefully and hope he doesn't interpret that as a mohawk.
I was also thinking about getting an iPhone before I leave; not sure when I could squeeze this in, but I do need to see about getting a Portland number (I'm going to bestow my awesome phone number to my mom so I won't lose it if I decide to come back, but I hear it's helpful in convincing people that you really plan to stay, for jobs and such, if you get a local Portland number. I wonder if giving my mom my old phone number is a good idea though, now that I think about it... I still do get random text messages from random guys now and again, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't know how to read a text message anyway.)
Friday I get to play freelance photographer for a few hours in Baltimore.
Saturday night I might be having a going away dinner, but at this point I think it might just be me and jesnie. Which would be fun; then it could just be casual thing and we could like go to Potbelly and walk around the Inner Harbor or something.
Sunday my brother and his kids are here to "help around the house" which means he'll do yard work while my mom (and probably me) chase the kids around. That's ok, but at this point it's another day I could use to get ready, so we'll see what happens.
Monday no plans. Oh wait yes plans: GET READY TO FLY TO PORTLAND THE NEXT DAY. I still have some research to do concerning taxis from the airport to my friends house. At least since it seems that I'm cutting down on some luggage, it shouldn't be such a juggling act getting out of the airport.
Sigh. I'm starting to realize I'm not very good at time management.
I suppose sometime during all this, I really need to start packing. :)