One Little Memory

I think the hardest thing about growing up and moving on is most definitely leaving home. By the time kids are heading to college, most of them are, in fact, ready to leave home and start out on a new adventure. I was not one of those kids.

In all honesty, when I moved out of my house at the start of last month I was extremely nervous. I had lived away from home before, but in a dorm with a meal plan and heat/hot water that I didn't have to pay for. And even though I still go home multiple times a week, mostly due to the fact that I have become a pro food moocher-offer, sometimes I still get nostalgic thinking about my childhood home.

As I'm writing this, I'm sitting in my bedroom in my new place listening to one of the biggest storms of the summer roll out of town. When I was a kid I used to be terrified of thunder storms, now I find them calming (unless I'm driving in them, then not so much.) Whenever it rained my mom would always sit in her chair and read a book, or if my nana was up then you could always find her sitting in our living room, a book on her lap but her face turned toward the window, watching the raindrops fall. It's these kind of little memories that made leaving home hard.

 If I wasn't always there, would I miss them all?

Part of moving on in life is embracing the new "little" memories.

Before me and my two roommates left for Mexico a few weeks back, one of our best friends came over to spend the night. We drank wine and painted our toenails in the living room, music playing in the background. It was the girliest evening and I loved every minute of it. And it also dawned on me that god help any man who does one of us wrong because he has five of us to explain himself to.

So there's a new little memory.

The other night my friend was over. We sat on our balcony and talked, then we moved (wine glasses in hand) to the living room where we proceeded to binge watch Jimmy Fallon clips on YouTube and then switched to Netflix and turned on How I Met Your Mother. Needless to say, it was perfect. What can I say? She knows my two favorite words, my favorite beverage, and she just gets me, ok?! #soulsistas

Another new little memory.

When I started writing this post, it was pouring outside. I kept my window open and my fan on to let my room cool down. I sat in the old wicker chair that I brought from home (complete with the newly sewn pillow cushion my mom made for me), and started to write. My room is dim, with only one lamp on, and as I look around I'm surrounded by pictures of my friends. Two of my best friends in the world are right down the hall.

A new little memory.

So I guess the bottom line is, no matter where you move to, or how far away you are from your loved ones, you're never really alone. The most important people in your life are either right down the hall or a phone call away. And if at some point in life they're not, or it's just one of those days when everything seems to be going wrong and nobody seems to be picking up their phone, then think back on your little memories. They all add up to one pretty unforgettable life. I guarantee that if you do that, you'll smile. And life may not feel like such a pain in the ass, all thanks to that one little moment you spent with your one little memory.

xoxo