Leave Your Baggage At The Door: An Emotional Guide To Packing For College | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Leave Your Baggage At The Door: An Emotional Guide To Packing For College

When packing for college, remember to pack lightly.

53
Leave Your Baggage At The Door: An Emotional Guide To Packing For College
shannoneileenblog

As July faded into August and Summer drew to a close, I began to pack for college.

With a sentimental heart and as many cardboard boxes as I could carry, I entered my childhood bedroom, which felt more like a shell I was growing out of with every passing day. I looked around the room and felt a twinge of panic that I forced myself to swallow. At that time, college was this ever-present cloud that had loomed over my head all summer. I knew I should be excited for this new chapter, but a flood of college horror stories and well-meaning warnings were rushing at me as my move-in date drew nearer. Still, when people asked me how I felt about going off to college in a matter of days, I forced a smile and answered with a convincing, “I’m so excited!”

I began to place all of my belongings into boxes with shaky hands, positioning them carefully and strategically so that everything would fit. I packed my clothes and my shoes, my pillows, towels and sheets, and even a few small stuffed animals that I couldn’t part with. I packed stacks of books and a brand new journal. I packed my makeup and my toiletries. I packed cleaning supplies and laundry detergent, wall décor and storage containers, and about two hundred pictures of the people I held close to my heart. When all of that was packed away, taped and labeled accordingly, only one box remained.

In that last box, I packed my insecurities. I packed my fears and doubts about the future. I packed the fragments of my heart that had been broken in high school, middle school and even grade school. I packed the memories that made my chest ache when I thought of them. I packed my shattered trust and my damaged pride. I packed all of the negative words that had been thrown my way in my eighteen years and the voices of those who said I was worthless. I packed anxiety and vulnerability. I packed the countless regrets that littered my mind. I packed the hatred and shame that had grown in the deepest corners of my heart. I packed a vile of all of the tears I had wasted on people who never cared about me. I packed all of my burdens and failures. Finally, I packed self-loathing, making the box so full it barely closed. Even though it was my smallest box, it was by far the heaviest. I labeled it “my flaws” and when move-in day arrived, I hauled it down the stairs and placed it in the trunk of my car before warily setting off towards my future.

After my family left with a heartfelt goodbye, I wiped the terrified tears from my eyes, made my way back to my quiet dorm room and began to unpack. My clothes went in the closet, my sheets went on my bed, my toiletries went in the bathroom cupboard and my flaws went back inside of me, where I had carried them for eighteen years.

After a few weeks of school, I realized something was wrong. While the rest of my peers seemed open and liberated, I was walking around with a weight on my heart. I was closed off, depressed and filled with panic as all of those tales of unbearable college experiences were quickly becoming my reality. I went back to my room and searched through all of the discarded boxes for happiness, hope, my outgoing personality and my ambitious nature. I hadn’t brought any of those things. Instead, I had filled my boxes with to the brim with my shortcomings. No one else had brought their shortcomings to school, to their new and improved lives. I was living with the weight of the flaws I should have shed on graduation day, and it was ruining my chances of starting over. So, I packed all of my flaws into that box and I threw them away. I didn’t need them anymore.

Don’t carry the burdens of your past to the new chapters of your life because they will only hold you down. College is your chance to start fresh, to leave your shortcomings behind you, and that chance will only be given to you a few times in your life. Why waste that chance by placing limitations on yourself? This life is short, and your college years will be even shorter, so shed your flaws while you can and start living to the best of your ability. And, when you’re packing for the start of the rest of your life, remember to pack lightly.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
an image of taylor swift standing center stage surrounded by her backup dancers in elegant peacock esque outfits with a backdrop of clouds and a box rising above the stage the image captures the vibrant aesthetics and energy of her performance during the lover era of her eras tour
StableDiffusion

A three-and-a-half-hour runtime. Nine Eras. Eleven outfit changes. Three surprise songs. Zero breaks. One unforgettable evening. In the past century, no other performer has put on an electric performance quite like Taylor Swift, surpassing her fans ‘wildest dreams’. It is the reason supporters keep coming back to her shows each year. Days later, I’m still in awe of the spectacle ‘Miss Americana’ puts on every few days in a new city. And, like one of Taylor’s exes, has me smiling as I reminisce about the memories of the night we spent together.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

79256
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

8064
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments