The scraps of paper I keep your addresses on should be an address book by now.

Stuff like that.

It's nice, though. It's also an excuse to go through old things that have been deemed important enough to lug around the world.

Stacks of letters, sillier things like metro cards and movie stubs and things that have no use whatsoever but make me smile anyway

Every time I pack up to leave somewhere I have the chance to look over all the things I own, and remind myself of what's next

consolidate my student loans as soon as I can catch up the payments, yeah. But also things like write some overdue thank you notes

And throw out that shirt with the pit stains that I just keep because I like the color. there are more shirts in the world, anyway.

...I write the most entertaining plurks. Hahaha. Sorry guys. I warned you that you were signing up to be bored to tears and grossed out!

/grin

Anyway, if people are up and around let's make this a dialogue. Why not?

So tell me what you like about packing a suitcase or cleaning out a closet or buying a plane ticket or going through that old shoebox.

'Cause I'm curious.

I like packing, and cleaning out, because it helps me to see just how little I actually need in order to get by.

Growing up, every time we went somewhere the family required a giant mass of suitcases and as much of our home routine as possible

Partially because of my brother, who is also why we never went anywhere often anyway

And now I'm a person who can fit everything I need for a week away into a tiny green duffle and a purse, and that includes my knitting.

I feel really good about that.

You'll be hiking the big trail one day too. Bnr. But good answer, I'm pleased by this too.

There's also realizing that you are no longer the person who was so attached to some of what you have, and what that means

And clearing things out so there is space to invite fresh, new things into your life

I am just a really big fan of cleaning things out lately

hah, in my life, packing and moving has always been for terrifying reasons so it actually sort of scares me a little now.

Cleaning stuff is nice, yeah. It makes you think about what you have and why.

And that's rough, Sarah. I can kind of imagine the parts of your life where this might have taken place. I think it's also a good thing that

some people are very rooted. I like the way that I always know just where to find you when I need to. Even if my phone is in some toilet in

Indiana. I could still find Sarah. That's a nice feeling. So if you never have to pack a bag that isn't a suitcase again then maybe that's

a good thing, too.

Hohum, not that different but - I like how it is so much easier than everyone always makes it out to be. All my friends, all

the 'adults' they will take days to pack here and then fret and then fuzz

...fuss

and I have never not been able to do this in way less than an hour. I know where my things are, I do my laundry before

everything I need is way less than all the things they require. So, every time I pack I expect that to be over

If you have a lot of stuff it might seem pretty big of a chore.

but it never is. I have moved out of places with nothing but a shopping bag and travelled for two weeks with an eastpak

/shrugs.

That's why I'm so big on keeping my stuff organized. My craft stash is huge, but it's all in bins already.

If I am moving house, I just slap tape on them to keep them shut and put them on the truck.

Yeah I can imagine it's easier if it's all in order already.

When my mom died, my dad dug out all her craft bins for me so I could go through and take what I wanted

And he was completely flabbergasted because he just kept finding things tucked away here in there

We moved fairly often when I was young, so she just always had her stuff set up like so

And he never had any idea she had most of it at all because she was so good at squirreling it off out of the way

you'll always know where to find me when you need me, bro.

Ha. I remember you saying that, yeah.

And this is true Sarah. I know where you get your coffee every morning, and which barista you like to flirt with. I'll find ya. /wink

she calls me lisbeth, even though she knows my real name.

that always cracks me up.

but she's so adorable she can call me whatever she wants.

That amuses me now too. /amused

it's nice, sometimes, to have routes you can retake

even though I am always startled when people recognise me

the lady from the Iranian food shop always knows that she can't hand me tomatoes and that I have a thing for spinach...

sure if that's your thing

/pokes Ava. Charming, as usual

/sits on and boogied

*noogies ...damn it autocorrect

slightly less gross than that most of the time I swear. or you can assume it mean some groovy dance moves or whatever. :|

that's what I'm here for babe. /salute

hahaha...oh god. everything that could have gone wrong did. it was hilarious. and miserable. and awesome.

it was miserable the whole time ngl. but gorgeous! and it gave her lots of shit to hate that wasn't me too. /grin

dangerous curves! boom de yada.

I miss this Chinese right now it was amazing

which is pretty funny cause it came from a place called Dynasty, (like 5 million others I know but wait for it...)

there's a tree growing out front of the shop. a big one.

so when you drive past on the 101 going south? it says NASTY instead

/grin

la push. those pics are from lake cresent though

aw, do you? I always assume I am boring the shit out of people so this is good

I understand about the moving though