Packing and Preserving

So the decision has been made and my move-out day is set.
I will be heading back to live with my parents (saving myself the expense of rent) until I can find a job someplace.
So naturally I decided today would be a great day to start.... Preserving.
I hate packing so naturally I won't do that until the last minute. Instead today I decided to enjoy the nice weather by going strawberry picking. I went a little overboard and came back with faaarrr too many berries. I then spent the day making two batches of jam and five pies and still have berries left over. YUM!

Anyhow all this preserving got me thinking about packing-go figure. I have a bad habit that before I leave a place I mentally put up walls and choose to focus on the frustrations and things I don't like about a place. As a survival mechanism it is pretty good, it is easier to leave a place if you can only think of the negatives. However as a general rule it isn't that great- although with some distance I am able to remember the good things and times of a place I have wasted so much time with my morose thoughts and sometimes friendships of memories suffer because of it.

 

I think it is time I change this habit and start something new. My jam making made me realize I should focus on PRESERVING the good memories and good friendships, rather than just rushing on to the new opportunities. Yes new exciting opportunities will come along (hopefully,) but I have had a good time here and made good friends and have many good memories. I don't want to suppress them just to make moving easier. Besides the results of preserving are pretty amazing. So I start/ pretend to start packing with a clear head and fresh mindset choosing to rejoice for the friendships and memories I have had here. I truly am blessed and believe those memories, just like my jam, will definitely sweeten my future adventures.