Collecting Moments

The past week feels like a blur. A sea of chaos. A shared graduation party with my brother, the transport of much of my life from the home I've grown up in to another, an attempt at organization (which included more purging than organization, to be honest) and goodbyes to wonderful people. 

The conclusion I've drawn over the past week is an aggregate of these experiences. I have spent much of my time and money collecting things. No, I don't actually collect anything nifty or have a hobby revolved around finding special pieces. It's just a bunch of junk. Receipts, magazines, clothes that have never and will never fit, trinkets (the worst), and an assortment of useless doodads. Removing the unnecessary excess has been therapeutic. Cleaning out and starting fresh is something I have long been looking forward to. 

I'm not sentimental, but there were times I didn't want to throw something out, to just tuck it away once again. And I think this is a rut we all get ourselves into now and again. Could I repurpose it? I might need it someday. But such-and-such gave it to me 5 years ago... If it doesn't mean enough to remember that I even have it, it needs to go.

Which leads me to the realization. Things are just that. Objects taking up space. Some we love, few are essential, and a lot of it is just clutter. How wonderful would it be if we let more people take up space and less stuff? We often long to keep so many inanimate objects, but don't take the time to work on keeping our relationships.

I've spent a lot of my time, energy, and money recently on people. At this turning point in life, many of those I've spent late nights, early mornings, and long days with are going to be gone. Off onto new and wonderful adventures: graduate school, careers, traveling, and the like. Some are even finding themselves getting hitched. Life happens fast, and instead of sitting in my room admiring all the pretty things (or truly lack thereof), I have pushed myself to get out there with people. Meals and coffee/tea runs, drinks, and late night rendezvous are the collection of memories I'm growing. 

I am overwhelmed by the love and kindness of others, especially the surprise visitors and thoughtful words. The outpouring of support and generosity always astounds me, but it shouldn't because I am surrounded by such quality individuals. From a kind note, a graduation gift, a meal, a beer, a listening ear, or a helping hand, I'm appreciating the intangible things in life more than ever.

Sure, I'm a little more sleep deprived than normal,moving and life changes are a bit stressful, and my wallet is a little leaner, but the conversations, smiles, and laughter I'm committing to memory are well worth it. Thanks for being a part of my story.

Day 1. The beginning of an era.

I never thought of myself as one to blog. Why waste my time in front of a screen sharing my ramblings with the interwebs (thanks, Stevie, for bringing that word into my vocabulary...)? I don't journal, and I prefer to share my life happenings with people individually. However, I am often weeks and months behind on sharing the biggest moments in life with those I love. So here we are, on a beautiful summer day post-graduation and I find myself wanting, needing, a place to reflect on the wonders of my life. 

With all the transition - emotional, physical, geographic, and otherwise - I have decided to use this as my medium to share my moments, good and bad, with my friends and family. If nothing else, it will be my record of doings and a collection of thoughts throughout the next phase of life. I strive to share laughter and love, good news and bad, surprise adventures, delicious recipes, DIY projects gone awry, good books, and my meandering mind.

I've got a list of goals for this summer of change. I'm a list-maker, I'm task-oriented, but also a procrastinator. Hopefully this list will challenge the stubborn little girl within to grow up and get a grip on things. Life's a-changin' and I've got some stuff to do. Publishing this will help hold me to it, right?!

1. Participate in the "Run Like A Girl 10k" in October (I have some preparing to do for this one...)

2. Organize. I'm starting on my own and my life is cluttered. Clear out the junk and move on.

3. Clean Eating. Cooking is one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling parts of my day, and I'm excited to share fun and easy recipes.

4. Read more. I've been putting this on the back burner for so long, and it's time to clear the cobwebs from my Want-To-Read list on goodreads.com

5. Watch more documentaries. Let's be honest, so many movies are trash and there are people out there who are trying to share the stories of real people doing really amazing things. And who doesn't love learning something?

Now that I've shared my Top 5 (this list is significantly longer) and started a blog in one day, I'm going to call it a good day's work. Here's to what's next. Cheers.