Yesterday, I had lunch with 4 of my former coworkers. It was so good to see them and just sit and talk and enjoy each other's company. I didn't want to rehash the firing and made that pretty clear to everyone, so we just talked about my plans and when we could get together before I go.

Following that, I stopped by the gym to cancel my membership and then spent a good part of the afternoon digging through the Boston Craigslist's 'housing wanted' listings. I found 12 apartment seekers who could potentially be interested in my apartment and sent emails off to all of them. I've heard back from two people (both declines) so far and will be checking the new listings every day in the hopes of finding someone.

The remainder of my day was spent watching 24 and shredding old documents, receipts, checks for closed checking accounts, bank statements and all kinds of paper crap I've had in a box for years. Literally - I found stuff in there from 1996. It was my first purging of stuff and it felt pretty good.

I am dreading the part where I go through every belonging and decide whether to keep or sell or donate it. I've already decided to sell all my furniture, including the piano. One of my coworkers may take most of it off my hands, and what he doesn't take my friend Amy may be willing to buy. It's hard to think about this, though, because I love everything I own. The loveseat was given to my by my mother and is nearly new. One of the rockers was something my grandmother gave me that she'd had since I was born. The other rocker was my other grandmother's, which I received after her death and recovered with new fabric to match my loveseat and chair. The coffee table? A donation by my aunt LJ. It's hard to think about leaving all this stuff behind.

But the reality is, I have to. And I think I it will be as good for me from an emotional perspective as it will from a financial one. The thing is, I am inordinately attached to stuff so I'm hoping that getting rid of everything I own - including a lot of clothes (not that I have a lot, frankly) - will have a lightening effect. That it will provide a feeling of freedom.

But after the search I went through to find them, I'm keeping my new dishes.

Dad arrives in less than a week for his planned visit. In addition to talking through my moving plans and doing some sightseeing, we'll have dinner with Joe & Julia, lunch with my aunt and uncle (from Saratoga Springs) and their son, and head to the Cape for a couple days.

Dad has offered to drive my car home to Portland for me, and I am SO grateful for this. Although I really enjoyed (most of) my drive from Portland to Boston, I don't want to do a solo trip again. So Rennie and I will likely drive with him and I'm hoping we'll have a little bit of time to do some more sightseeing along the way. Maybe stop for a Cubs game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, swing back through Yellowstone, or go through Grand Teton Natl Park - which I didn't see the last time through - or perhaps visit some of the sights in Utah.

My options - both for my life and getting back to Portland - are wide open. And that's pretty exciting.