Gradual exit

A dramatization of my apartment, courtesy of Animal Planet

I'm approaching my final semester in college, and my final semester in the wretched little treehouse that I have called home for the past three years.

It's been a hard year for me, but something that unexpectedly troubled me was how unhappy and uncomfortable I was in my apartment. It's always been cluttered, it's always been small, but only now did I realize how much dirtier and disorganized it's become this past semester. The general deterioration of the apartment, along with the increased quantity of accumulated stuff has become oppressive and depressive. I use such strong language because the realization of this truth was so startling. Indeed, dissatisfaction with the space I live in seriously affected my general outlook and wellbeing.

It seems so obvious now that I wish I'd been less complacent about it before.

Given that I only have a few months left there, I think it's high time I jumped whole-heartedly on the decluttering bandwagon, but with the distinct goal of preparing to move out. Also, I realize how uncertain my future is, but know for a fact that I'll be moving back in with my parents immediately after graduation, regardless of what my plans eventually become. As cluttered and cramped as I feel my space in my apartment is, my space at home is practically empty. I don't own many things, and the things I do own went with me to college, and now sit in my small apartment. Over the years, certainly I've accumulated belongings, some of them more used than others, and many of them used not at all and simply wasting space.

My goal is to sort through my space/things in my apartment and make the move-out process slow and steady. I plan on visiting home once a month (I'm local), and relocating some of my belongings. In this process, I will toss/recycle/donate as much as I can, and reorganize what will remain in my apartment so I can utilize the space more effectively. A general goal that I have is for each item in my possession to have its specific, designated location. I suffer from some laziness that makes me leave things lying about haphazardly: now is the time to combat it.

I haven't read Marie Kondo's manifesto, but I feel like I have a good idea what it says. If I deep clean area by area, then perhaps my feelings of being trapped by stuff will  gradually go away. Here's to a more organized and content 2016.