Moving On

home.

This Saturday marks the last day in my home of 15 years. It's a weird thing to think about. I'm not even quite sure it's really hit me yet, even though my room is practically empty and basically everything in our house is in boxes. My room echoes, our living room is piled with boxes and furniture, our driveway has two huge PODs in the middle of it.
Moving is a weird thing. I had to pick out clothes that I would wear for the last week and pack the rest away, and let me tell you, I was not prepared. I picked out clothes I would wear, but I only saved one sweatshirt, which I regret. Since the colder weather has come, I've been living in sweatshirts, so the other day I went tripping over boxes and using my phone as a flashlight to find that one box that had all of my sweaters/sweatshirts. It was almost worth it. Also, the emptiness of everything is kinda weird. But, spacious.
Like I said, I've lived in my home for 15 years. While I've certainly had many not-so-good times here, I've had a lot more very-good times. This house holds a lot of memories. The basement is where I used to pretend I was a spy and I would jump over things. It was where I would play with my kitchen and pretend I owned a restaurant, or was a mom. I 'made' food for my dolls or brothers. I used to sit on the steps and pretend I was a teacher. For years I played with my American Girl Doll down there unless no one was downstairs and I got too scared (loneliness is terrifying, especially because I watched Lord of the Rings much too young and Gollum scared me and I thought he would eat me). The living room is where Christmas was held. The family room is where we spent the majority of our time and where I would bring Sally (my AG Doll) up to play with so I could have company. We watch shows together and I spend a good amount of time on the floor with my dogs. The backyard is where I hosted the majority of my parties, so there are some good times there, too. Really, I could go on and on about all the memories I have in my home, in every room, but to make this not terribly boring, I won't (you're welcome).
It'll be weird to leave this house behind. Still, I think it's about time we move! Our next house might not be the fanciest house, but it's what we need. It's smaller, it's closer to everything, and still a roof over our heads. It's not bad. And I get to choose my room. And redecorate it, which I am very much looking forward to, almost as much as I am about the fact we'll be, like, 3 minutes from church. Let me tell you, driving twenty minutes there and back, and then up to school is wasting so much more gas than necessary.
Today was the last morning that I drove down the same roads to seminary (church) that I've been going on for 15 years. Today will also mark the last day that I drive to the college using the same roads to the highway that I've been taking for a little more than a year. It will be my last night in my home, in my room. It's all very weird to think about and very bittersweet. I'll be looking forward to the saving of gas, to the new room and redecorating, to getting my piano back (after having been deprived for about 2 weeks), to experiencing something new. While leaving the only home I've ever really known and can fully remember, and while this has been fairly stressful and hectic, I think things will work out. The house isn't another New Hampshire house, which I am extremely grateful for, because while I appreciate the ability to have two houses and for the endless hours my parents have put into it, I also like some stability. And I'm home for less than a year now, and I really wanted a house that I could comfortably live in, with floors and walls. I'm also glad I won't be changing schools, because if I had to do that for the 4th time, I think I would explode and give up on school... kidding... sort of. I'm still with the same people and I'm not moving away from all of my friends. I can still see everyone, which is great
We've been the only family to ever live in this house, which is weird to think about. I can't believe someone else will be living in our house... I'm almost ready to move into our new one and create new memories there. It'll be weird at first to be living somewhere kind of new, but I guess in some way that's already happened twice (Guatemala to Virginia, Virginia to Massachusetts), and at least this time I get to decide which room I live in and I'm not younger than 2. And I got to tag along on all of our house hunting adventures which were both occasionally terrifying and gross, and decently pleasant. This time around I got to be more a part and aware of what's going on. I think that's why I think this new house will be good... At least I hope.
This home has been a good home, and now we're moving onto another one.
As always, thanks for reading!
---Maggie