As the final days of the semester are quickly passing by, I find myself going through the bittersweet process of packing up my room. As a freshman, so many firsts happen in these dorm rooms: cramming for our first exam, powering through papers that are due the next day, countless naps (more naps than any person needs), and the first conversations we had with people we cannot imagine our life without now as the year draws to a close. I began this monotonous process of gathering and organizing the past year of my life and felt these five overwhelming things:
1. Why in the world did I put that there?
This occurred to me when I found my FitBit in a box of records, placed behind the TV. How did that get there?! I am completely aware that this organization makes no sense, but it’s highly likely that each of us will rediscover a dozen things that we thought were long gone, but were in fact just hiding in an incredibly strange place. It’s like an Easter egg hunt, but better!
2. I did not clean my room as much as I should have….
Cleaning up has revealed to me that there are more dust bunnies hidden in the druthers of my room than I could have ever imagined. Both my roommate and I are clean people, but nothing can stop the collection of two girls’ hair over an entire year. It’s a little gross, but nothing to be ashamed of.
3. I have so much stuff….
Free gifts, a t-shirt, a hat…something free was given out at almost every event! I’m not complaining about free stuff, but the amount of items piling up in this space is too much to handle. I already packed up an entire container of T-shirts… and those are the ones I never wear. I have more T-shirts than human could ever need. I guessed that I would accumulate more T-shirts than I came in with, but this is actually ridiculous.
4. This whole process is making me sad…
I can’t believe I am boxing up an entire year of my life! This year has been incredible- full of wonderful memories with people that I know will be lifelong friends. I have to try not to cry every time I take down a canvas or picture from a wall…. I am only freshman, geez.
5. How will I survive summer?
For all of the times I complained about living in a tiny room, sharing a bathroom with an entire hallway of girls, and having the fear of falling out of my lofted bed, it’s safe to say I really am going to miss this room. So many memories! From the nights where I was sure I would fail out of college, to getting ready for game days, to movie nights with the best of friends. The next three months cannot go by more quickly, and I can’t wait to set up my new room in the fall at the greatest school in the world.
Happy packing, Frogs!