Until you experience it first-hand, no one can prepare you for the emotionally taxing process of moving out of your college apartment. Sure, you've moved out of your dorm, but that's a small space and you almost always had a parent there to help. Moving out of my apartment by myself is one of those things people say "prepares you for the real world." Well, turns out the real world ain't gonna be so easy...
Unrealistic Goals
At first, when you have a whole month until your move-out date, you convince yourself that this time will be different. "No procrastinating- I'll do it little by little each day," that lying voice in your head says to its weaker counterpart.
Denial
At first, you take a look at your cluttered apartment and outright deny that everything has to be out by the end of the week. Nah, me? You're keeping on as if there is no looming deadline ahead, finding yourself at the pool or going out instead of doing what really needs to be done. When friends talk about how they have pretty much finished moving out, no spark of resolve or action occurs. Mom calls twice a day to remind you to bring this or do that and you ignore her. Simply refusing to acknowledge the glaring truth is much easier than one would expect.
Complete Negligence
That “four days until move out" reminder on your phone is like a punch in the gut. Startled and confused, you finally accept the cold hard truth. Yet, that lying b*tch in your brain convinces the more realistic part that you still have plenty of time. Valuable packing time is being wasted getting drinks with your more organized friends and you feel utterly unconcerned about the amount of work you have to do. I still have the whole weekend, right?
Utter Panic
It is Friday night. Everything has to be moved out by Monday morning. You take a look at the amount of unnecessary crap you have accumulated over the year and sheer panic starts to make its way inside your head. For a minute, your fear is crippling as you see the furniture, pantry, school papers, shelves and curtains on the wall. Your tiny car has to haul all of this to storage by Monday. You're screwed.
Slightly hopeful
As an outlet to your stress, you call your mom. Not only does she refrain from saying “I told you so," she is successful in calming you down and encouraging you to move forward. She uses supportive words like “I believe in you" and “you can do this." A feeling of hope rises in you. You are ready to take on this massive undertaking. Your mom has given you the strength you need to push ahead in your packing journey.
Purposefulness
All of Saturday and Sunday is devoted to moving out of your house, Tasmanian devil style. Does shoving random stuff in random bags count as an organized, color-coded box system? Let's face it; you were kidding yourself if you thought that was an actual possibility. You feel as if you went through a surreal, out-of-body packing coma because you don't really know how all your stuff ended up in your car ready for storage. It's over; you did it. Time to go get a well-deserved drink (or five) to celebrate. Until next fall, Athens, when you have to do this all over again…
