My Packing Faries

Today is my last full day in Raleigh. Don't know how this day arrived so quickly, but it is here.  Tomorrow I will leave for Toledo, Ohio and spend time with my family before my August 11th departure to Kuwait.  Last week,  I looked around my apartment and realized there was just too much to do before my departure date if I insisted on doing it alone.  I called one friend to help me put together an action plan and she told me that #1 on my list needed to be "get some help".

Well, my help came.  I prayed for packing fairies, and they showed up.  While there were no magical packed bags appearing when I woke up each morning, I did get  friends stopping by to help out and make the work much easier. I forgot to take pictures.  Except for this one because this friend worked for about 20 minutes to wrap this pot in newspaper just right......

I have the best small group ever! In addition to meeting up for Bible study and prayer, we support one another during various life events.  When I put out the call for help, they came.  Saturday I had friends packing up dishes, pots and pans, and picture frames.  They rolled clothes for packing.  I was just patting myself on the pack for the genius idea to invite them over and getting ready to say goodbye when my friends noticed this.

I still had a full closet.  I figured I would pack that up later.  "Janeen,  you don't have later.  You leave in a couple of days".  Really,  I think it just wasn't clicking.  In my crazy mental timeline, I had all the time in the world.  My friends kicked me out of my very own closet and got to work.  

Meanwhile, I had folks still dropping in to buy my furniture.  The bed went to a sweet newleywed couple.  The futon is now gone.  My buddy Lynn dropped by to help me paint.  I had spent a couple of days fighting with the wallpaper.  The removal took down both wallpaper and paint.  Lynn informed me that i couldn't just paint over the huge paint holes that were  in the wall.  

Thankfully, the holes weren't this big, but they were pretty noticeable. 

Who knew?  We ran by Lowes to pick up spackle supplies.  She fixed my wall! Yay.  I didn't have to pay a security deposit when I moved into this apartment, so I'm sure they would have sent me some kind of bill if not for Lynn's help. 

This move has involved packing for 2 locations.  Of course I am packing for life in Kuwait, but I am also using my parents house as a storage unit. I sold all of my furniture.  I gave away lots of stuff.  These pics show a portion of what I donated to charity.

Seriously,  I have too much stuff.  I'd like to use this move as a chance to implement a more minimalistic lifestyle.  We'll see.  I think the fact that I have 6 large bags packed shows that I have a ways to go in my "less is more" journey.