Remembering

I recently helped my mother go through the last of the childhood leftovers in my old bedroom. Makes sense, since I haven't lived there since the summer of 2001, am married, and am about to move 3,000 miles away.

So I've gotten rid of most things--except for one box, lined in plastic, labeled DO NOT THROW AWAY! NOT TRASH! SAVE FOREVER!!!! IMPORTANT MEMORIES!!

This box has been slowly filling for about five years now, with illustrated stories I wrote in second grade, photos, my high school art portfolio, and the like. Also, one small treasure: a journal I started keeping when I was twelve and in the seventh grade. It provides a frightening glimpse into the inner life of a middle-schooler...for about thirteen pages, and then I guess I got bored and went to watch Star Search.

Life has come so far since then, of course, that these days, I don't remember the seriously, totally horrible things that I might not even survive detailed in the journal. I remember generalized feelings, but very few specifics.

However, it was a time of important transition...and so is this.

I realize now that if I want to remember the small victories, disappointments, and surprises of my current transition -- moving from Boston to San Francisco, starting school, discovering a whole new world of adventures -- I had better record it, and share that record with others so that they know my memories, too, and can help keep them.

I will write as often as I can, to share my new life with all of you. I will do my best, and I hope you will keep checking for updates. Thanks for stopping by!