DIY “Going Away” Box

We are coming off a week of blogging neglect and I apologize… computer issues, mixed with traveling to far off places with no internet connection is a recipe for a week of no posts. But not to worry, we have so many things lined up for the next couple of weeks that are sure to make up for the MIA-ness. As this past weekend was a time of travel for most (we enjoyed an awesome mini-vacation to our beloved Chesapeake Bay and a day trip to Hershey Park), I decided to dedicate the rest of this week’s post that very notion… travel and adventure. Except this time, I’m not taking you along with me to the bay… we’re going to India baby! Let’s rock and roll…

This week is a special week because it marks the one year anniversary of a really cool adventure I had the privilege of being a part of. About a year ago, I packed two weeks worth of clothes and… wait, hold on. Let’s back up a bit…

In January of 2013, this sweet girl (who I got to know through a college internship) made a bold move and spent a semester abroad in Kodaikanal, India… oh, and did I mention: she was in 10th grade? Meet Jess: Yeah, she’s every bit as awesome as she looks… and brave too (I never would have had the courage to study abroad in HS)! Anywho, Mitch and I are close with Jess and her family and I knew Jess was excited, but a bit nervous to leave home for a semester (she was there from January-May) because it would mean leaving her family, school, friends, and youth group behind. Sooooooo, I took it upon myself to make her a little something to take with her. A “little piece of home”, if you will.

Meet the going away box:

That picture was taken right after I gave it to her- she was leaving for her 20 week adventure the very next morning! I wanted to share this project because it’s something you can easily do for someone else… have a friend or family member that is taking a big trip? Moving away? Trying something new? Could just use a pick-me-up? This may be the project for you… Here is the simple “how-to”:

Step 1: Tell people!!! (well, tell everyone except the person you are gifting it to) I sent out emails, texts, FB messages, etc. to as many people as I could think of that knew Jess, had been a special person in her life, or mentored her in some way. I asked them to send me a letter for her to open sometime during her stay in India- and the feedback was incredible. I got letters in the mail, digital copies which I then printed, original artwork from kids in her neighborhood… you name it, I received it.The letter in the top left (“open me on the plane”) was from me and had a send-off message, along with instructions on what the box was and how it worked. There was an element of suspense to all of this because she wasn’t allowed to open the box until she read the letter and wasn’t allowed to read the letter until the plane ride and so on and so forth… cruel, I know.

Step 2: Sort It. The method for sorting is up to you, depending on the situation you are working with. I decided to divide all of the letters into 20 groups- one for every week that she would be there. The idea was that each week she would have 3-4 new letters to open.

To keep things interesting, I capitalized on some “stand out” weeks too… above, you can see that Week Nine was “first week of March!” and Week 11 fell on her “half birthday week”. Valentine’s Day even made it into the mix…

Step 3: Gather supplies. Along with all of the letters from her well-wishers, I raided Michael’s and A.C.Moore for other goodies to pack the box with. The box itself came from A.C.Moore (it’s actually a photo box) and was big enough to hold all of its contents, but not too large that she could not travel with it. The box came with a design, but I added a personal spin to the top with some scrapbook paper and painted wooden letters:Other fun trinkets that made their way into the mix were: candy, a watch, a water bottle (that acted as the “package” to hold that week’s letters), a few scraps of material that she could use to get crafty, photos, and an itunes giftcard (that came with the half birthday week). By the end, that box was packed to the gills with letters and gifts for Jess’ opening pleasure. Which brings us to…

Step 4: Pack (good luck with this one). It’s all well and good to gather a ton of stuff for your care package, but if it doesn’t fit, none of the previous steps matter! It took a few tries, but eventually, I had a system that squeezed  in everything. Remarkably, we were even able to get the later weeks toward the bottom and the beginning weeks toward the top!Thankfully, I had some help (meet Jess’ sister, Katie) and we got the bow tied on top just in time to give it to her!

Step 5: Hand it over! At some point, you have to stop working on the project (which was harder than I thought because I had developed a strange bond with that darn box) and send it off with them. Trust me, it will mean the world to them that you put so much time and thought into it. And really, in the end, this was the best part…

So that’s the quick “how-to”! Off she went the very next morning… and you’ll have to wait for the rest of the story until tomorrow. Here’s a clue: it involves a surprise that was way bigger than the box itself…

Update: Want to see the next chapter of the India Adventure? Check out the follow-up post here!

Anyone else make (or receive???) a going away box? They are serious work, but also serious fun. 🙂 Or maybe you’re now thinking of a person that could use a box of love from you and are grabbing your keys to take a trip to Michael’s? Go for it- I got your back.

See you tomorrow!

-Leslie

This project has been featured on the following blogs: