Packing, Packing, aaand… More Packing.

I'm quickly becoming an expert at prioritizing.  My current mindset being: if I haven't used it in the past 6 weeks, I'll likely never use it again.  This is the first time a move has involved putting the majority of my belongings into storage for a year.  Normally, I throw all of my useless belongings into trash bags, lug them across town/state lines, and then unpack them, all the while wondering, "why do I own this?" This time however, oh my god, I'm discovering how difficult it really is to group things into the categories of: 1. I need this in Spain / 2. I'll want this when I return home / and 3. This should be donated or thrown out, without losing my mind.  I leave in 7 days, and even though I'm making steady headway, I'm completely overwhelmed with forcing myself to let go of old items in order to make space for my future adventures.  Its been eye-opening to see how emotionally attached I am to useless items.  Tossing the purple fold-up sunglasses I wore to Mardi Gras my freshman year of college shouldn't ignite such a storm of old memories.  Donating the crummy t-shirts I won at a UVM hockey game shouldn't bring to me tears.  Condensing my life into boxes is helping me to prioritize my memories; to sort out the fond, painful, and funny into knick-knacks. Becoming a traveler means finding ways to make memories that can fit into my back pocket without weighing me down.  I'm slowly learning how to move forward without having to leave everything I love behind.

¡Salud!

The countdown is more-than-officially on.  I'm essentially done with work, I'm about halfway done packing (obviously an exaggeration…), and every errand I'm currently doing is somehow related to my rapidly approaching departure date.  My motivation is at an all time low, and the only things keeping me moving are watching my roommate pack up her life, seeing pictures of other auxiliaries that are already in Madrid, and the need to accomplish my pre-departure bucket list.

Whelp, #1 is officially complete.  I made it to a Red Sox game, got drunk on Bud Lights and booze I smuggled inside of my bra, and watched the Sox lose.  I sunburned my face, got an ever-so-slight farmers tan, threw peanut shells on the floor, and scrambled through the stands to find a friend on the other side of the stadium.  Dan won the horse race (I'll explain later), Jenna double-fisted, Jeff's baby blue eyes were complimented by a 300 lb man with a snake tattoo around his calf, Libby discovered the delicious combination of fenway lemonade + honey whiskey + cleavage sweat, and I contemplated every possible marry-fuck-kill combination for my friends (and sox players). Needless to say, it was one of the most American, inappropriate, and entertaining Sundays I've had in a long time.  Slept like a rock and woke up ready for round 2.

Next up: Lobster Dinner & "Music" in the park (aka the movie Frozen…best I could do).

Two Weeks

In T-2 weeks I make the big ol' move to Madrid. The fact that I'm still living comfortably in my fully furnished and decorated apartment is becoming an overwhelmingly apparent cause of stress.  With a million things to get done before I jet set, I'm stuck at a standstill.  I want to have enough time for debauchery with friends, quality family time, making some extra money at work, aaaand packing, but its becoming frighteningly clear that the clock is ticking.

The time has come to do what I do best: make a list (that I will likely never look at again nor complete)

Pre-Departure Bucket List

1. Go to a Red Sox Game at Fenway and drink too many $9 Bud Lights (approximately 4? Because I'm a lightweight and have issues with pre-gaming too hard).
2. Go out for a lobster dinner and order at least a 2 pounder because the tiny gambas in Madrid are going to be delicious but less than overwhelming in size. 

   

   I'll take the shrimpy one on the right PLEASE.

3. Drive through Dunkin' Donuts at least once a day... The car and accessibility will both be distant memories soon enough. The coffee (fortunately) will soon be replaced by its much stronger/tastier European counterpart.
4. BBQ on the patio/beach/lake/all of the aforementioned. Make sure to drink good beer during.
5. Watch live music in Prescott Park. Make sure to drink good beer during.
6. Drink good beer. Mahou, San Miguel & Estrella will do the trick while in Madrid, but will definitely leave something to be desired.

   

   One of each PLEASE.

7. Shoot some guns. Because America.
8. Pack boxes for storage in a way that will not make me want to use my skills from #7 when I return home.
9. Spend a night with my parents acting like a kid (i.e. bake cookies with mom, watch movies, ask for another blanket because I simply can't reaaach, & fall asleep on the couch by 9pm).
10. Finally get that sister tattoo that has been on the wish-list for years and years.