I’m finally getting settled in my new apartment after a week or so of moving. It’s one of those big multi-unit places with all the amenities, and it’s brand-spanking new to boot. Too new, almost: my address is not even on Google Maps nor in many organizations’ databases yet, so I’m having trouble changing it and ordering stuff online. The place is named Prana, supposedly this is Sanskrit for ‘life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath’… sounds more like Boulder than Lafayette, but in any event it feels like a good place to reboot one’s life. When I say the name of course people are more likely to think of the omnivorous South American jungle fish that is rumored to end lives rather than positive new beginnings.

I picked Halloween to start moving. I guess I figured that since I wasn’t participating in any spooky activities this year that embarking on my transition from an 8 year relationship would be an appropriately scary thing to do on this day. I decided to just keep packing/loading/unloading my pickup truck over the next week or two until I was done. At first I speculated that it would take me about 10 trips driving over. Then upon reconsidering the mountain of boxes and things accumulating, I thought, well, maybe more like 20. But I was underestimating the carrying capacity of my Tacoma, and my original estimate was pretty close. Unloading was fun, only 38 steps up to my 3rd floor apartment. After a few of these climbs in succession in mile-high air while straining under heavy loads I was left gasping for breath and questioning my insanity.

There’s still some odds and ends to go but here’s the stats and some fun facts:

• 9 full truckloads
• about 120 schleps up the stairs
• I was amazed to calculate that this is only about a half-mile in elevation gain. I’ve done so much more than this backpacking, but I can attest that it really is much easier carrying things strapped to your back than cantilevering them out in front of you with your arms.
• Lifesaver: the back brace I purchased at RiteAid on the first day
• Worst moment: after a week of this I was shattered and needed a few days off
• Best moments: the view from the top – from the Flatirons north to Long’s Peak and beyond
• Most challenging: wrestling an entertainment center and a queen size mattress (albeit not at the same time) up the 2 flights of stairs
• Surprise: the black widow spider I found clinging to a lane float in the pool… these gals loved to periodically colonize the garage in California but I never saw one in Colorado before
• Most relaxing: soaking in the hot tub after a few rough days of moving
• Little moment of pride: successfully backing my truck into the tight garage for the first time, at 3 am on a Saturday morning no less
• Big moment of pride: I moved everything myself. Girl Power!

Honestly… do I really think I need this much stuff? Too many hobbies? (probably) Pack rat? (maybe a little) Bit of both? (undoubtedly) But, I did throw out and/or not keep a lot of stuff. And this small apartment actually isn’t looking too cluttered (except maybe the walk-in closet). Plus there’s a pile of leftover furniture to sell or give away back at the house. Nevertheless I think I may still have some more work worth doing on the letting-go department.

As it turned out, moving was really good exercise. And strangely every now and then I do find myself using one of those things I’ve been lugging around from place to place but haven’t used in over 10 years.