Au revoir, Austin!

Although I mentioned that I started packing early in my last blog entry, I seemed to have only packed one box that day and saved the rest for tonight (the night before I move out of my apartment in Austin). It’s 1:16am and I’ve been packing/cleaning/organizing since around 7:30pm. I just have a little bit left to do in the morning, but I can say that I’m pretty much done.

I can’t wait until I’m sitting on that plane to Germany and can just let out a huge sigh of relief – this past month has been a crazy one. Had it not been for great friends and a great job, it would have been a rough one. In the past month, I’ve sold every piece of furniture I own, have made 4 major trips (read: car jam-packed full of stuff) to Goodwill, and sold my car. I probably own about 20% of what I did a month ago. I have to say it feels pretty good. All that stuff just weighed me down; I feel much lighter and freer without it. However, some things were really hard to part with. I’m not a pack-rat by any means, but there have been some things I’ve been lugging around for a long time (e.g. since 6th grade). But now that they’re gone, I feel no different. Just like Martin tells me often, they’re just material things, and that’s not what life is about. I still have everything I need and then some.

This day has been weird. People have been stopping by all night to say their goodbyes – I’ve had a few friends even cry. It reminds me of a funeral wake. I’m sure it will hit me at some point, and maybe I’ll cry too, but I think life has funny ways of working things out. I’m positive if not certain that I will see each and every one of these people again at some point. And, as much as I get annoyed with Facebook, it makes staying in touch easy.

I have three more nights left in Texas, and then it’s off to Germany! I’m really excited for a fresh start there. I’m sad to be leaving Austin, but I’m leaving by choice, and I’m looking forward to what awaits me in Germany.

Knowing how often I update this, the next blog will probably be from Germany – maybe even about my first day working at the parliament! Until then, peace.