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Last Tuesday I crammed my belongings into cases and cleared out what I called my home this last year. But, because it was also the hottest day of the year, and I have some forthcoming film projects I’m really looking forward to, summer can’t come quick enough. It was a bittersweet day; as a matter of fact, it was the last of the bittersweet days.

I found it hard to get my head around the idea of owning furniture in America. In Ireland it’s the norm for places to come fully furnished, and you generally don’t accumulate stuff until you buy your own place. I didn’t have much of my own stuff to pack; just what I had brought with me from Ireland, and the bed I bought last year. However, the lease on our apartment hadn’t been broken in five years, so although the rent was a friggin’ steal, being on the tail end of such a long lease meant there was a lot of stuff that had accumulated over the years.

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The truck arrived in the early morning, and we moved a bunch of stuff to my roommate Garret’s new place, before taking old clothes to a charity resale store. Following a quick lunch-on-the-go, we then donated a truckload of furniture to The Salvation Army, and took our old electronics to recycling stations. Next, we brought some furniture to a friend’s place before returning the truck that evening. A few more friends came by later to take the last few bits and pieces, before we swept floors and scrubbed surfaces. My friend and fellow producer, Javi, came by to pick me up later, and before leaving I took a brief moment to breathe in the now vacant “bittersweet place” apartment. Thankful for the times I’ve had there during this first year of grad school, I’m equally looking forward to the next chapter.

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By the end of the day, the fourteen hours of lugging heavy gear had taken its toll and I was tired. However, it was a really enjoyable day with lots of laughs, and the sense of community involved was really encouraging. It might be the end of an era, but on the other hand it’s the beginning of the next chapter. It felt good getting rid of all this stuff. Like Walt Whitman said, “afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me.”