Tuesday, March 29th

I've spent the past two days doing a final clean out of my closet and packing away the things I will not need to live in community.  My check list shrinks then expands as I think of more things I need to do. 

March 27th

I have too much stuff.  Worse yet, I have too much stuff I do not want to get rid of, homemade Christmas ornaments, books, a lamp that I have not used in years.  Stuff with sentiment attached.  So what if my son hand glittered a piece of wood from a Christmas tree fifteen years ago.  Do I need to hold onto it?  Obviously yes cause I cannot bring myself to throw it away. 

The lamp an old roommate wanted to throw away over twenty five years ago, I came to hate the roommate and always had difficulty finding an appropriate shade  for the lamp but still I hold onto it.  Did I mention that it needs to be rewired thanks to my current roommate?  So basically I have a bit of wrought iron on a marble base sitting in a corner waiting for me to fix it. 

Today I will do something just for me, I will go to the park and (illegally) feed the pigeons.  I like thinking I in a small way help them get the energy to propagate and annoying the pigeon haters is an added bonus.  I could never figure out why people think that the city should only contain the animals they themselves consider acceptable? My feeling is as long as you are not invading my space you're all right in my book. 

I also vow to clean out my closet today and recycle, free cycle and dontate all the stuff I can let go of.

Saturday, March 26th

Today I looked at some storage space I am going to (possibly) sublet from a friend.   I am uncertain about the wisdom of co-mingling my stuff only because he also sublet's space to another person.  But he is a decent enough person and I don't have anything that is of any great value, so I am going to sublet if it can be arranged.  I also did other things on my to do sub-list.  Check prices on things I will need to get in order.  PO Box, stretch wrap for the furniture so there are no scratches, cost of bus tickets back and forth from NYC to Mass, cost of a hostel if I cannot couch surf.  There is still so much more to do but I have five weeks to get it all done and plenty of supportive friends to make move easier.  The only outstanding issue is my son's 42" flat screen TV.   I loathe trying to ship it to Phoenix, where to find a box & bubble wrap and Styrofoam. I may post online to see if I can get a used box for free.  Otherwise it goes into storage with my furniture.  

Friday, March 25th

I found out yesterday that my application to go and live in community has been accepted. Now I have to make lists, my fav thing to do, to prep for the move from NYC to an ashram in New England. So first on the list I told the people I love and the response has been very supportive.
Things to do:
1) Go through my stuff and donate, sell or discard unwanted and unnecessary stuff (props to the show Hoarders for their organizer advice on how to do this).
2) Find a storage space for the stuff I cannot take but don't want to get rid of (storage space in NYC is expensive so I need to merciless with step one).
3) Say goodbye to all the people that I will miss (I would like to have a going away party but I have a crazy roommate so that is still under consideration).
4) Say goodbye to all the places I will miss (going to miss Figment AND Museum Mile this year)
5) Say goodbye to all my favorite restaurants (Vanessa's, RUB, Spotted Pig, Grays' Papaya and Shake Shack).

My roommate is not happy that I am leaving, he had difficulty with change and I am sure there will be an adjustment period for whoever decides to room with him.
So how am I am feeling? Elated, overwhelmed, excited and a little sad to leave the city I both love and hate but the timing is perfect, no kids, no job, no relationship to get in the way of my leaving. Time for me to move on.