Today, I’m going to clean my room.

Well, technically not today, since I’m going to schedule this post, and not exactly my room, and more sort/pack than clean.

I’ve lived in the same place for over half my life, with some time away for college, and recently, some time away for a volunteer service corps.

And I’ve decided I’m not going back. Once my year of service is done, I’ll go…I don’t know where–it’s a mystery–but I won’t be back there at that house, that wonderful home.

I lived there with my mom until she moved out of town for her job, and I brought in new roommates. We called it “reverse empty nest.”

Now, years after my mom left the nest, I’m preparing to do the same.

I am not the neatest of people. I’m working on it, really. And I’m getting better. (Go for a walk, flesh wound, and all.)

So to go through this room is to go through my memories. To go through things I was attached to, because I don’t want to pack things away that I don’t want, and I want, when I find a new place, to have a clutter-free space.

I’ll be trying to focus on the work of Marie Kondo, asking myself if each item sparks joy.

I don’t know what I’ll do with the yarn for crocheting. I want to give what is useful to someone who will enjoy it, or to someone who needs it. If I were still spending a lot of time watching TV, I’d just bring some back with me, come up with some system to go through it all making scarves to give away or something like that. Not a bad idea. This reminds me that I would like to be more aware of what I do with my time. Speaking of which, as I write this, it is almost noon, and I need to enjoy my tea, take allergy medication to prepare my body for the dust, and prepare my mind for the physical and psychological clutter I will be wading into.