A huge part of the process of preparing to move to New York has been packing up my belongings. In doing so, I have come to realize just about how much stuff I have accumulated over the last decade. I came across college papers, countless notes and syllabi from vet school, and plenty of junk that for whatever reason I deemed worthwhile to keep even though I may have never actually used it. While there are plenty of items that I will need and want to have in the city, I have found it tremendously meaningful to part ways with all the stuff that does not bring me happiness or meaning. With some inspiration from Marie Kondo, I was able to greatly diminish the volume of stuff that would have otherwise come with me to New York. Notably, I said goodbye to my blue cruiser bike that I had won in a Q93 radio contest in New Orleans in 2009. It got me all the way through vet school in 2018 and into part of 2019, but time took its toll. Though I had to move on for safety purposes and opt for a more functional commuter bike, I couldn’t imagine getting rid of the blue bike for the longest time. This move prompted me to take action and donate her to a friend.
The idea of letting go not only applies to physical objects, but I also have taken it upon myself to go through old emails that I have kept in my inbox dating as far back as 2011. I had kept them for sentimental purposes but at the end of the day, a clean slate allows a fresh mind and one that is very eager to treat many a patient in The Big Apple!
