Let the packing commence!

Over the last few years I've packed and unpacked my life so many times you would think that I would be a pro at it by now! Even with my experience of going to uni, moving houses each year of uni, moving back to Belfast and moving house whilst in Belfast I still manage to underestimate how difficult and stressful it can be.

Before I start, whether I'm moving house or going on holiday, I always make a mental note of what I'm going to bring and in my head it never seems like that much. However, as soon as I start packing everything into cases and boxes it turns out that my mental calculations were a little unrealistic and I end up with a lot more than what I originally thought.

This time around I have a limit of one 23kg suitcase and two 30kg boxes. Yes, it may sound like I can bring a generous amount of my belongings with me but I still get stressed out by the thought of not having enough room for everything.

As I'm sitting here, surrounded by the nightmare of a mess of boxes, shoes, clothes and other miscellaneous items, I've realised that there can actually be a few positives to situations like these.

For starters, it gives you the opportunity to dig out old memories and photographs that you don't look at everyday and reflect on happy times of the past. I had such a nostalgic little break sorting through a jumble of sentimental bits and pieces including old cinema tickets to movies I had forgotten I'd seen, polaroid photos of parties with university friends and birthday cards which made me laugh and cry all at the same time. It's in moments like these when I truly feel blessed because in reality I know that sprinkled between all of these happy memories were times of heartbreak, stress and fear but I got through it somehow and on the other side it's the good times that I can look back on, not the bad.

Packing also gives the perfect opportunity to have a good old clear-out! As much as I love buying clothes, shoes and homeware there's something so satisfying in sorting through everything I've accumulated and narrowing down my collection to items and pieces that I truly do love.

One thing that I've learnt from experience in moving is that I never end up needing as much as what I think I will - and that applies to clothes, toiletries, home decor...everything! It's important to be selective with what I choose to pack - so there's no point in bringing my heavy coat that I only seem to wear once a year, my whole collection of childhood journals or all four sets of my fairy lights.

In a way it's kind of refreshing knowing that I won't be burdened with lots of 'stuff'' when I move. I'll have the essentials and one or two pieces of my favourite decor to help me feel at home but other than that I'll be able to have a fresh clean start.

Even though this stage of moving is a headache, it's making the whole reality of the situation sink in now and I'm starting to get those excited, nervous butterflies. Only 1 week til moving day!!

- S xo