The End of an Era.

Today I moved out of my place in East Lansing...for the last time. 

Those who are close to me joke about how my mom and I have become expert packers from all the times we've moved my stuff (and I have a LOT of stuff). In my first semester of college I moved four times, and once every year since then, so this is probably pretty accurate.

But this time was different. It didn't seem too difficult or emotionally exhausting, but almost relieving. I can finally say goodbye to crappy college housing and all the frustration that comes with it!

In honor of the end of the era, i've come up with a list of some important things I learned,

1. Be a good roommate/human being. This doesn't mean you have to be best friends, but do your dishes, pay your bills, and clean up your stuff from the common areas. 

2. Less is more. Do you really need an ottoman? or a clock radio? or three bulletin boards? Small items add up quickly and are a pain to sort through after you move out. With this, the items that you do have don't need to be the nicest, and/or match. My furniture was grandparents-chic for the most part.

3. Have a tool bag! My little purple tool bag came in handy more times than I can count (thanks mom!)

4. Move as little as possible.  It seems fun to try a different living situation, mix up the location, maybe even the roommates. But staying in the same house my last two years made a huge difference, and I even developed a good relationship with my landlords (they even offered to write me a recommendation!)

5. Pick a convenient location This one should go without saying, but still. Pick a location close to what you find most important. For me, with a huge campus and rough Michigan winters, I chose to live close to where most of my classes are located.

With that, I am happy to say I am done with college housing, have become a pretty decent packer (or at least can throw things in boxes quickly), and am ready for my next adventure!

Check back soon as I start to prepare to head West!