#3: my stuff (the essence of essentials)

Lately I've been trying my best to rid myself of my collection of junk, such as unread books, video games, collage materials, art supplies, unwanted gifts, and the like. Although my load is a good deal lighter now, I am afraid that I will some day amass the same kind of junk due to the same absent-minded, passive consumer behavior. So, I intend to be tight with my won and buy few permanent objects.

On the other hand, I have also been trying to pin down the affects and trinkets that are meaningful to me and hold onto them tightly, trying to prevent them from following their sibling pieces of crap into the trash-resale shop-thrift store vortex. Of all the things that have surrounded me for the past 3 or so years, I feel that some essence has settled itself into a few objects. They feel "heavy." This is likely because they often weigh a lot, but that is also how I conceptualize essence. This process concentrates my memory of a place or a person or an emotion, often with a very healthy mix of misunderstanding and imagination (which I believe are practically the same thing) mixed in. On a tangible note, I am trying to think of both the long and short term with this list. First, I'm considering little accents that will liven up an hypothetical, tiny, and blah apartment, while still retain some significance to me in my new urban environment. Second, I'm thinking of food for my long flight to Seoul. Third, I'm thinking of food I will miss when I am settled down. Fourth, I'm thinking of gifts for people.

But, hey, you know, it's all just stuff in the end.

I will add some of my other mementos and preparatory devices to the following list later on (they're at my parents' house, or I haven't purchased them yet). This list probably won't be exhaustive, however. 
I don't think I will have a problem fitting all this in one suitcase along with my clothing. If I do, then chucking stuff is kind of fun at this point.

Tell me if you think I need anything else.

---

mementos 

old tea tin with coral from my parents' honeymoon and 타일러 name stamp and sun-moon necklace from Aram's trip to South America

Daruma doll with one eye unfilled

S-hook twisted to be an ∞

old brown dzi bead
Korean coin purse with 福 on it (gift from Daeshin) 
big, hollow glass ball 
old watch of my dad's 
two scorpions set in plastic (one with CCC and one with BC, for my grandfather and father, respectively)

food and toiletries

jar of peanut butter (2 different kinds)

Lärabars (6)

Benefit 10 make-up

Dr. Bronner's shaving gel

Dr. Bronner's Rose bar soap

Big Sur Sage spray

Venus of Wilendorf cinnamon soap

extra razors (8)

wooden comb (2)

tweezers

extra toothbrush heads (2)

earrings

earplugs
7 bars of hotel soap
2 bottles of hotel shampoo

game, electronics, books, etcetera

Bananagrams

scarf from India from Amrita
lots of postcards

empty notebook

pencil bag with markers and pens (one spray paint marker for filling in Daruma's eye)

Arkansas razorback warm headband thing I borrowed from work

small Kodak digital camera

fish eye lens

flash drive

external hard drive
Korean Grammar In Use
Korean-English pocket dictionary
Lonely Planet Korea guidebook

Nobody Passes

어린왕자
purple rope
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

Osamu Dazai short story collection
Tugumi
Uncovering Heian Japan

empty things

two little wood containers from Amrita

stem ginger Piccadilly biscuit tin (from my parents' trip to London)

35 mm film tubes (4, empty)