My whole life in one room.

"If your house was burning down and you could only take 3 things, what would you take?"

well, that's easy. My answer was always "clothes, pictures and books."

In my mind I would think, okay...so the house was burning but I would be one of those people that would be calm and productive. I'd grab a trash bag and pack as much clothes as I could, throw them out the window. Same with the books. Grab my box of pictures and run.

Now the answer isn't so simple. I don't have any developed pictures. They are all stored on my MacBook Pro. So, naturally, I'd take the computer and run.

Yes, the logic made sense but really, could you only pick 3 things that meant that much to you? You would leave everything else to burn to pure ash? Only 3? 

I've started cleaning out my closet today. Packing up all my clothes, sorting some for donation and making a pile of clothes that I've worn but I'm pretty sure don't belong to me. I took off all my posters, my decorative butterflies and my door coverings. All off and folded away and ready to be packed. 

As I sit here on my bed writing this I'm looking around this room, my home for the past 7 years and I can't bear the thought of leaving ANYTHING behind. This room is my life. Everything there is to know about me is in this room. Ever object that means something important to me is in this room. Don't know me? Come to my room and you'll find out all you need to know. Thinking back to the question, I would have no idea what 3 things I would pack.

I like to save things. I have all my binders since middle school. All my essays. Math progress reports from 7th grade. Director's Script for the Play HONK! I student directed that year as well. Sure, maybe I won't ever need them again but it brings me some form of consolation that I know I have them. The years have gone by far too fast and this is my way of knowing that despite everything I have something to hang on to to prove those years were actually real, they really happened.

As I get ready to graduate High School this coming Friday I've awestruck at how fast these years went by. Memories of Middle School cloud my head, early morning announcements, planning dances, talent shows, awards nights...was that really 6 years ago? It seems like those things just happened and now I'm realized it's been 5 years since I student directed that play, 6 years since I carried around that binder.

I'm turning 18 this year, in a little less than a month and that thought alone is pretty crazy to me. If feels as if years went by in weeks and suddenly I'm struggling to catch up...but in a good way. I'm ready for the new chapter in my life, I just didn't really pay attention to how soon it would come.

For the past 7 years this room has been my everything. My entire life is in here. There is not one thing I would pick over the other. Everything has value to be and holds a memory.  

Busy sorting, packing and throwing away... 

-D