Packing Up

First, let me show you my new ring. I got it last weekend and I'm pretty much in love with it. I love big cocktail rings. I've been looking for something like this for a while so I was glad that I found it. Accessories always make me happy. Today I'm working on packing up my apartment for my move this week. I have a confession to make.

For the past 5 years I've lived here and there have been many times that I cursed the layout of the place and hated that I lived in a residence hall apartment (the upside is that it's rent free). I have said on more than a handful of occasions that I dreamed of the day that I would move out into a bigger place. One that had a private entrance and my own parking spot. One that had enough storage that I could store my seasonal decorations. One that had an extra bedroom for a craft room/office. But now that's it's upon me, I feel a little sad. And I know that sounds silly because I'm only moving 5 minutes away and I'm not changing jobs or moving to a new town. I think it's because once I move out of here, I have to develop a new routine. A new normal.
Yes, it'll be exciting to decorate my new place and to have my first party there and to sit on the deck after work. I'm looking forward to all of those things. It's just closing the chapter on this normal that I've had for 5 years. As much as I've complained about living on campus, or how small and annoying my bathroom is, or about how I have NO storage space, I realize that I'll miss the little things about this place. It's not about the physical space, I think it's about what's happened in the 5 years that I've lived here. I turned 30 here. I got Gracie and Sadie here. Countless other milestones happened here. This has been my home. And it's been a great home (despite the lack of storage for my handbags). I'll miss it. I'll miss the sounds that I've become used to (students talking in the hall, the maintenance staff vacuuming in the morning, the students moving furniture above me at odd hours).

So I'm packing up some boxes this weekend with a lot of mixed feelings. I'll put stuff into boxes here knowing where they belonged in this space and when I unpack, I know they won't look the same. Because it'll be time to see those things in a new way. In the new normal. In the next chapter of my life.