It’s amazing the things you will accumulate in college. Sometimes you don’t really recognize it until you have to put it all in boxes. From textbooks, to filled and half-filled notebooks, to the clothes you’ve been accumulating since freshmen year, it all has to fit into boxes. I made my final move until graduation the past few days. I came to Hopkins with only two suitcases, and boy have my belongings grown since then.
I save boxes from things I order online to use when moving. They make great entertainment, too!
I am slowly unpacking what seems to be countless boxes in my living room. With each box, I am remembering the places I have been since I came to Hopkins, and more importantly the person I was and now the person I have become. I used to wear jeans all the time as a freshman, and now I can’t even remember the last time I pulled a pair of jeans on. I found the pennant I was given on my first day of SAAB. The plaque I was given at the Gilman rededication ceremony last year made from the marble of the old Gilman steps. Lastly, I found a bottle of sparking apple juice from the ChemBE Student Excellence ceremony from last year. I threw that away. It’s funny how so many things I haven’t touched since my first year here. I have nearly everything from my first year, including my old twin xl bedding and twin down mattress pad. I thought maybe I should throw them out, but I guess I never know. Someday I might be in a dorm room again. On the other hand, I have lots of new things too, including my very first suit I just purchased for my upcoming summer in LA.
Every year moving turns into a more dramatic multiple day process. The number of boxes and bins always increases, and there is also some dramatic event that makes the whole thing worse. This year one of my cats went missing while the movers my roommate hired left the apartment door propped open. For three hours I searched every nook and cranny, calling his name. He was nowhere. I had begun to loose hope that somewhere between the 16th and 4th floors he was gone. But then after everyone had left, and I was alone still moving, I leaned against my bed and found him near my feet. I think he had crawled inside a piece of furniture to hide, but I was so relieve to have him back. Of all the things I have accumulated during college, there are some that definitely mean more than others.
Wilbur with his lost cat poster. He's even making friends with JHU_Greco!
I have another week before I head home for a few days before heading the UCLA for the rest of the summer. Without tv or internet, I am taking my time unpacking each box and carefully organizing my apartment.
Name: Cate W.
