At least I'm mostly finished packing.
Since I decided to fly, I'll only be able to take two 50 lb bags. Let me tell you, it was quite a project to determine what stays and what goes. Going through stuff, I ended up purging a great many things at the Salvation Army, lending out things that would be better used than stored, and giving things away that I don't anticipate needing in the future. Oh, and I am very happy that my babies, er, I mean plants, found loving parents - some as foster kids and others given up for adoption.
Then, the rest of my stuff got divided into "will need in the next six months" and "will need... eventually." The latter category got boxed up and went into storage. (Hooray for free storage at mama's house! Thanks mama!) The former I've been packing and re-packing to try to fit everything safely into two 50 lb suitcases, which has been a chore. Since I'll be in North Carolina for six months, I decided to go ahead and ship a box to myself with my winter clothes (which take up a surprising amount of room!) as well as some breakable stuff that I didn't trust the airline to handle with appropriate care. With the vast majority of stuff (the few exceptions being my toothbrush, etc) packed and ready to go, I'm feeling much calmer.
However, my ToDo list is a mile long and my social calender is booked solid until I leave! It's kinda funny how popular you get when you are leaving for six months. :) Between spending quality time with all my loved ones, my brother's graduation (Congrats Jake!), working as much as I could at Prairie Archives (today was my last day), getting my ducks in a row with regards to classes for this summer and fall, and running various errands to get ready for my trip, I have been a very busy lady. My new mantra is "Everything will get done. It always does." Plus, my priority is spending time with family and friends. I can pick up stuff I forgot in Black Mountain and get school stuff taken care of over phone and email, but I only have a few more days to spend with the people I love.
So, I am ready. Everything will get done. It always does. (Another of my favorites, from Robert Anton Wilson's Prometheus Rising, "Everything will turn out better than I plan.") Still, I'd been both excited and nervous, happy to be going and sad to be leaving. However, I decided to take the advice of Rob Brezsny. In his wonderful volume Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia, Brezsny suggests giving in to negative emotions, letting fear and pain do their work, but only for an hour. Well, I've had my hour. (Actually, significantly more than an hour. Whoops...) Now it is time for optimism and confidence. I'm very excited for my adventure!
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