Yes... six months after moving into this apartment, 7 months after graduating from college, I have finally retrieved all of my boxes from storage. As I rip the plastic and worn out cardboard, memories, feelings, and a full array of emotions flood out of each and every box. I can literally feel the stress blow into my face while opening a box of school supplies and text books. Thats when I open a bottle of wine. The stress hit me so hard it was completely and one hundred percent necessary to clean out a newly unpacked cup from Prothro (my college dining hall, where I stole many cups and dishes for my personal collection). With half a bottle of wine in me, and all 15 boxes opened so I had at least a sneak peak into its contents, I began the process of unpacking and reorganizing. Living in a two bedroom apartment is a shock to me of course so I jump a bit when I catch myself making wild reactions out loud to the outrageous contents of these packages! I giggled out loud like a seven year kid while untangling yards of Christmas lights which decorated my apartment my senior year. These lights were a staple in almost every memory I have of my time spent in that room!!
That was college. Here is "post college"
Of course I was super pleased with the first attempt at decoration, until I had a little more wine, and then ended up with the second version. The second, by the way, left me rolling on the floor laughing out loud. Mind you I live by myself and while I plan to blame this second version on Luis, it was all me......
I replaced a creepy orange and yellow clown painting (complements of my landlord with awesome taste in interior design) with the drawing by Lauren Burke. This piece was originally displayed in the gallery for Burke's senior show at Sweet Briar College. The campus library bought the piece and displayed it in one of their study rooms where I, the skilled and experienced thief of large and oversized framed pieces of art, felt the absolute necessity to kidnap for my personal collection. My personal collection, as a senior in college, meant it sat on the floor underneath my liquor cabinet propped up against two empty helium tanks (a left over special effect from the artist's old video project) and was eventually covered in drips and spills of vodka-cran or whiskey and cream soda or gingerale and... something. Sitting lonely and unprotected in a far away storage unit in the middle of no where (which I believe is called Sterling, Virginia) for the last 6 months, I finally retrieved this wonderful work of art and it now hangs (yes, I cleaned the alcohol and whatever stains) above my clean (errrr... sometimes) living room couch.
The more drunk I became, the more I laughed at the notes I left on the outside of my boxes. My name was clearly displayed on the top of each box and on the sides were fluorescent notes labeled with the contents. My favorite read, "books, journals, paper, buddha 8 ball, and party favors." I'm not kidding. Inside I found an 8 ball in the shape of a buddha which answered questions with answers such as, "where is my monkey?" and "rub my belly!" The very first thing I pulled out was a package of those noise makers you blow at a surprise party or on new years or something that extend and re-curl... clearly the party favors I mentioned.
My second favorite fluorescent contents note I enjoyed read, "text books, crafts, dinosaurs." Literally I opened a cardboard box filled with six environmental studies/biology text books, two gallon sized baggies filled with ribbons, buttons, thread and hot glue refills, and at least ten dinosaurs in different forms! This included an adorable beany baby stego from Tbear of course, as well as light up rubber stegos from Sara Buttine, and a plethora of other assorted stegosauruses (which yes, happen to be my favorite dinosaur of choice if you were wondering).
The only disappointment of this evening was that my one bottle of wine didn't last long enough! I have placed all my books on my new bookshelf (of course the first priority after dinos) and hung up old art pieces and posters. At least 10 boxes are still filled with old school supplies and computer cords and things I want nothing to do with anymore. So instead of unpacking and finding places for these nicknacks, I think I'll throw them in a corner of the Wicked Witch of the East's closet and hope it goes to Savanna, Georgia with her evil husband Benji. Until then, I'm off to the grocery store for one more bottle before bed time :)
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