Moving out.

I've moved around a lot in my life. I've lived in several counties, moving due to divorce, new jobs and then for my own adventures (uni, moving in with Ollie). As much as I love seeing new places and settling into new 'homes', I always become reflective when preparing to move.

Today, whilst I started packing up my things, I started to contemplate what 'moving out' means. When packing up things we almost always leave things behind. We decide that we don't need them for the next step of the journey. They may be insignificant things - a pair of jeans you bought years earlier and have been meaning to throw away months ago. The beauty of packing up and moving out is that simultaneously you are able to have a 'spring clean'.

But what about a 'spring clean' of ourselves? Moving out gives us a chance to move on, and leave behind any stresses or negative feelings that we have had in that particular place. Out of all the memories that you create in one place, there are bound to be some that you would rather forget. An argument that brought out the worst in you or a 'grey day' where you wondered what does it all mean. When we travel to a new place, we can contemplate that whilst those moments were essential to our growth at the time, they don't need to be included in the baggage you are carrying.

Instead, when packing up, we should pack only good memories. We should take with us the moments that make us laugh till our sides hurt. The moments that make you proud, and give you the motivation to keep trying. The moments that make you shed a tear, not out of sadness, but of pure happiness.

I have experienced a roller-coaster of emotions during my year in Salford. Some of them have definitely tested me, making me question things about myself and how I deal with certain situations. I threw myself into the deep end, going from knowing nobody to having a wonderful circle of friends I will hold dear for life. The magical memories that I have made with them, Ollie, and his family will be the one's that I will take with me in my luggage, on to the next step of the adventure. The stress, upset and unsettledness will happily be thrown in a black bin bag and left behind... along with the old pair of jeans.