All That You Can't Leave Behind

I thought that ripping off the U2 album was an appropriate way to title this post, seeing as it seems to be my main struggle lately. I'm leaving for Queen's on Thursday (EARLY morning), and am currently struggling with my packing. It is so hard to compress your life and possessions into a few suitcases. I'm also having to leave a lot of friends and family behind. Fortunately, I was able to get together with a bunch of them Saturday for my birthday party, and then again yesterday (both with my family get-together and then Drew's party). It feels really weird though: yesterday was the last time I'll see a lot of them, at least until Christmas. I've never moved before, and have lived in the same house in the same city for my entire life, so deciding what to take is quite a new experience. Actually, moving is helping me to understand my favorite book (Lord of the Rings) in a much deeper way. I feel just like Bilbo or Frodo, pushed out of my comfortable hobbit hole for the uncertainty of the road ahead. Granted, I did choose this "adventure" for myself (unless there were any suspicious-looking wizards around that I didn't see when I was choosing universities), but I definitely am stepping out of the comfort zone of Hobbiton. Hopefully, I won't forget my cloak and pipe!

The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings