2 days...

My new laptop (officially it's a "Notebook" because it's mini) has a camera!!  With no flash!!

I'm in International Falls right now. I just dropped off my car for storage at my parents' house and am saying my goodbyes to my mom and dad and my sister and her kids. They must have recently had a wet snowfall because every pine tree is coated with puffy fat wet heavy snow. Millions and millions of snow covered Jack Pines lining each side of Highway 53. It was a beautiful drive, and of course I'm feeling nostalgic since I LEAVE FOR MY TRIP IN TWO DAYS!!! Which is why I'm storing my car here, and the remnants of summer clothes that didn't sell at the garage sale, which occupy only two small meant-for-one-purchase-from-Banana-Republic-disposable garment bags plus one plastic Rubbermaid bin. Not too shabby. Anyway, that plus a filing cabinet, two bikes, and a smaller bin of shoes. These are the things I will need next summer when I come here to stay. Any other crap at home right now is going to be stored in Rubbermaid bins and kept at the house (in a back corner of the basement) i.e. one binful of winter items of clothing, a few boxes full of photo albums, framed photos, three winter coats the following items that I did NOT put up for sale:

• One side table from Target. It's pretty cute.
• My computer and stuff that goes with it (speakers, printer, etc.) -I only didn't post these things because I needed them and then it got too late to post them. Maybe I'll sell all that when I get back.
• My Global chef's knife from Williams Sonoma
• Electric kettle
• Pots and Pans
• Snowboard stuff
• Guitars
• A few souvenir items purchased from previous travels
• Artwork*

So, I didn't totally transform my 3+ bedroom home all the way down to one backpack, but I came very close. I think that my belongings could possibly fit into my car. That feels pretty good. And if I did literally have to fit it all into a car, I could get rid of so much more. WARNING: Strange, and maybe insensitive analogy ahead:  I feel cleansed, purged. Like the last seven years were the binge. Me buying and stockpiling stuff. Possessions. And now I just puked them all out into the toilet and I feel SKINNY! I'm sad, because I just puked, and I always cry when I puke**, but the feeling of release outweighs the sad feeling of the puking!

Anyway.

I am a touch excited and maybe even a little smug at the idea of not seeing winter at all for the next year. I'm sure when this is all over my ol' boss Jennifer (she's not old, the job is) will still make fun of my lack of tan. Because I did pack my 70 SPF and embarrassing old lady floppy hat and I'm not afraid to use them.

*All of my artwork is being babysat by trusted friends and will be returned to me when I get back.

**never self-induced