Little goodbyes

So the big moving day is tomorrow.

Boxes are packed, friends have been recruited, addresses have been changed.

If tomorrow is about new beginnings, then tonight is about little goodbyes.

Goodbye to my quirky little apartment. The first apartment that has ever been mine, from start to finish. Goodbye to the slanted floors that pull spilled liquid towards the kitchen. Goodbye to the yellow living room, which almost seemed to glow a little when the sunshine hit it just right. Goodbye to the sideways sink in my cozy kitchen, which made turning the faucet an exercise in caution, as it would inevitably knock up against a precarious pile of plates. Goodbye to the clawfoot bathtub, so deep that it felt I could almost comfortably drown. 

And goodbye to my neighbourhood, with the looming heritage homes, bedecked in bright, sometimes inappropriate colours. Goodbye to the corner gardens, adding some sparkle to the dullness of the concrete. Goodbye to the overhanging trees, encasing the street like a tent. Goodbye to my random wanderings down, turning haphazardly down another street, camera perched and ready for whatever image may greet me.

Even though it's only been a year, this area represents a lot to me. It's a representation of a profound transition in my life. Although I technically made the biggest and riskiest change over a half year prior to moving here, my residence here represents finally leaving all those ties behind for good, and starting out fresh. It represents me finally learning how to be deservedly a little selfish.

Sometimes you need to leave things behind before they get too run-of-the-mill and everyday, to best balance comfort and excitement. As such, I'm happily anticipating the changes that tomorrow will bring, and the stories that will come to be linked to the quirks of my new apartment, even though I feel a twinge of sadness saying goodbye to the giant tree on the corner.

But tonight is about these little goodbyes. I got take-out from my favourite Thai place around the corner and rented a few movies. Even though it is Saturday night, I am turning off my phone and the internet, and curling up on my couch. It's just me and my apartment tonight.

***

As an aside, we're not getting the Internet connected for a few days, so I may remain MIA for a little while longer.