get all of my stuff out of my parents' house

and I could probably finish this up in a day or two. The problem is that I am only there when we’re celebrating something (a holiday, a birthday) and then there’s not the time or the motivation to take care of things. But they are talking of selling so I will have to do this eventually…it might as well be now.

I am loading up the car with stuff today, again! And moving things out of “my” room at home so that my parents can live there while the remodel is underway.

I have even been paring down the stuff in my new house in Baton Rouge.

I am finally back out of the house. Took a considerable amount of stuff with me, but there’s so much left hiding in closets and the attic and everywhere. And I remember now how hard it is to pack up things and take them to a place you’re just renting, not knowing if you’ll be able to fit them in the NEXT place you go, and if it’s even worth attempting to move them over and over.

Of course, if it isn’t worth moving them, it could be a great time to get rid of them. :)

Didn’t really feel like sharing all of my aspirational goods or my nostalgic treasures with my new roommates, though.

I’ve used my time thus far to get rid of a few things and move stuff around so that the important things are safely inside the closet and the stuff in danger of being tossed out is in my face and ready for purging.

CD collection is gone.
Many bags of junk are gone.
A bag of too-small clothes has gone to my friend who’s lost a lot of weight since we lived together (unlike myself).

This goal’s going to have to go back on the shelf.

Our driving plan has been shelved for now and we still don’t have much room in our own home, but I have been (hopefully) getting better at paring down what’s left. Packed up another big bag of stuff to give away and filled up my suitcase.

What really needs to happen is that I need to stop being a sentimental hoarder. And convince myself I can get rid of that stuff. What would it really matter if I didn’t still have it all hanging around somewhere? Probably all of our lives would be better if we were just able to move freely in our junk-free homes. I don’t want all that clutter to be my future.

I’m secretly excited that we are driving back after Christmas because this means I’ll be able to bring my big picture and maybe a few other bulky or fragile items. I mean, it’s all got to fit in a Jetta with 3 passengers, but I think we can bring a few things home.

Dad sold the car for me
Mom sent some documents up with my sister (who visited in March) which I needed for my Immigration application

They visited in July and brought some stuff up for me (a few sweaters, a couple dresses), including the two sets of dishes (to make a full set of four). This one was especially helpful, because it means I can carry-on something ELSE that’s fragile on my next trip back, in November.

They’re coming to visit and I asked them to bring (if they can), my second two place-settings of dishes and a pile of clothes from the closet.

I still really want to bring my antique toaster, but we haven’t got room for it in our current place.

My excuse is that it’s hard to do when you’re moving bit-by-bit on international airplane trips, followed closely by the “lack of space in our apartment” line.

Last time I went I spent an evening going through clothes I’d left behind and took a few bags of clothes to Goodwill.

Also I’m trying to sell the car I left behind: my buyer-friend just needs to sell his own car first. I didn’t want to burn all bridges when I left, and it turned out they needed to use it for a few months, but my dad really has been TOO generous about taking care of it in my absence, and has his new car now.

Things to bring back (so I won’t forget)
2 more sets of my red dishes
-‘Homicide’ DVDs
-books including Hitchhiker’s guide
-martini glasses mom bought me and/or pasta bowls I was given
-beading supplies (or should I give these away?)
-get rid of CD collection (ask sister if she wants any?)
-bring something of granny’s from the box in the attic
-chequebook

In the same vein, don’t forget there’s that box of pictures mom wants the two of us girls to look through.

I’m going to consider this goal completed when I’ve got it reduced significantly, with maybe a weekend’s worth of spare clothes still there, and a few keepsakes (we just really don’t have room for anything non-functional at our place), and the closet mostly emptied so that they can use it.