Monday night, I spent the night in my childhood bedroom for the last time. It took me a while to fall asleep because as I laid there, so many memories ran through my mind.
I thought about the sleepovers I had with my best friends from grade school. The giggles, secrets, and prank phone calls that only those four walls were privy to hearing.
I thought about the time my friend Alexis and I spent hours jumping on the bed putting glow in the dark stickers on my ceiling.
I thought about painting my room dark purple and thinking it was so cool.
I thought about the noisy middle school years when my “neighbor” was learning to play the guitar.
Truly, I thought about the most random moments.
It was emotional, really – but in not the I-can’t-stop-weeping kind of way. I was simply there, completely content with swimming through memories. I’m not sad, mainly because as I was leaving, I was given a great gift. My mom had boxed up all of my old notebooks and journals – my memories – solidified on paper, kept safe and preserved after all these years.
When I got home yesterday afternoon, I spent over two hours pouring over past moments. I found, like any young girl, I wrote whenever I was furious or whenever I was elated.
God forbid anyone ever got ahold of these books. They’d surely conclude that I was a raging bipolar bitch 
But for me, the girl who wrote each word, it was like visiting with an old friend. I winced at old humiliating stories, rolled my eyes at former passions, and felt my heart swell when I read the first words about meeting “this guy named Cory.”
Overall, it was a surreal moment to have writings and documentations of life chapters that span well over a decade.
I mean, we all have to start somewhere, right?
I still have all of my old journals and notebooks. Every now and then I’ll break them out – it’s crazy to see how things have both stayed the same and changed a ton. My favorite entries are when I write about love…at like the age of 11. Ha!
I love and admire that you write everything down! I just keep the cards and take tons of pictures! And I feel like a lameo that I almost cried for you reading about your last night in your room….
This is how I felt the night before my wedding — it was the last time I slept in my childhood bed. I still haven’t cleaned out my room entirely though, and I need to do that!
I love this
Very sweet 
I love looking back on old memories and photos like this–isn’t it funny to read about what was then a crisis in your life? It’s hilarious to think that I was so worked up over the most trivial of things…not being allow to see an R-rated movie, who was dating who, etc.
Those stars on your ceiling were the coolest!! You were always meant to be a writer! I will miss your house, too! It was always fun to spend time there with all of you!! Love you!
Aunt Janet
Sometimes even though your excited to move on, it’s still kinda sad. I still have a bunch of my old school work and notes. It’s a lot of fun getting them out after all this time and sharing with my kids what a goof-ball I was.
I just love this. It’s always fun to reminisce on childhood memories. Time just flies so quickly. It amazes me how some of those memories are so clear to me!
Such a sweet post! I wish I had a journal from when I met my husband!
I’m so jealous you kept so many journals! I gave up on mine around the 9th grade mark? It’s still so fun to go back and read about old friends and flames that I haven’t thought about in ages. Growing up is weird!
Growing up is SO weird!