Spring Cleaning

Today I am reclaiming my apartment. I've lived here for two years, and since then, I have never thoroughly cleaned through any of my stuff.
In my own defense, the life of a college junior and senior is quite hectic. My life was dominated by classwork, my jobs, being in the band, writing, homework, extra curricular activities, my boyfriend, normal everyday college things. All of that life and living experience has collected within the four walls of my room over the past two years, and it got to a point this semester where it was overwhelming. Overflowing with books, papers, drawings, post-its, and clothing. My floor became my storage space. I started avoiding my apartment and practically living with my boyfriend because I had dominated my own space so much that there was no room for me anymore.
But now college is over, and on my day off it's time for me to face the mess that was my life, and figure out what it is time to let go of.
I started with my box of letters, and my bedside table. I reorganized every letter that any friend has ever written me from my sophmore year of high school forward. It starts with a newspaper article about my performance at a talent show, the paper is worn and yellow with age. There are postcards from Oregon from a friend who I don't talk to anymore, the corners of the postcards are bent. The self-adhesive is wearing off of the stamps. Looking through that box is like studying my shadow.
Now I'm almost done. I have four bags of clothes to bring to Goodwill later. For the first time I will be asking for a receipt, because next year marks the first time I have to think about tax breaks. I have eight full spindles of mix cd's. There is a pile of dirty laundry that comes up to my knees. Behind my apartment complex, the trash bin contains five full trash bags with almost every paper and notebook from my college career in them. I have a stack of books to bring to a co-op down the street, and a box of cd's to donate to the local record store.
Somehow, after going through all of these things, and discarding most of it, I feel more like myself than I have in years.
It's funny what we learn about ourselves when we take ourselves out of context.