Me, DD, My Sister, My Niece
Chapter One: Packing
DD packed for at least 14 days, yet we managed to forget her microwave. The dining room was so full of boxes, trunks, bags and loose stuff it was easy to understand how the microwave (which was a Christmas gift and had been stored, out of sight, in the laundry room since December) got overlooked. Packing the minivan was another adventure. Even with the minivan, we had to leave some non-essentials behind - like the SpongeBob Squarepants stuffed toys and a big purple fuzzy lounge pillow! They certainly would have added personality to the dorm room. I wouldn't have been able to see out of the back window if we'd taken that stuff along. I didn't want to see SpongeBob smiling at me when I looked in the rear view mirror.Chapter Two: Driving
I hate the Northeast Corridor of I-95! That's all I have to say about that. We had a blowout while driving on Rte 29S in Virginia. "Not a big deal", I said. "I'll call AAA". The first thing AAA wants to know is where we are. All I could tell them was we were heading south on Rte 29. The last sign I remembered said Charlottesville 58 miles. Since our destination was Charlottesville, I didn't take note of any other destinations on the sign. For some reason, that wasn't enough information for AAA to find us. We were on a stretch of road that was completely rural - nothing but trees - no landmarks or intersecting roads. I stayed with the car while DD walked back to the nearset sign to pinpoint our location. Imagine watching your only child walk along a stretch of unfamiliar highway. I was thankful it was daytime. Anyway, we were back on our way after about two hours.
Chapter Three: Moving In
Believe it or not, moving-in was the easiest part of the whole weekend. There were many "greeters" around to help unload cars and carry stuff to the room. The weather wasn't uncomfortably hot, so we got that done relatively quickly and without incident.
Chapter Four: Saying Good-bye
This was the hardest part of all. Of course, we were tired and stressed, so we tended to get in each other's way and on each other's nerves. However, we hugged and said good-bye and I managed not to cry until I was on my way back to the motel. My sister drove to VA from NC, both to help settle DD in and as a support for me. Unfortunately, she had to leave before I did and she missed the hugging part. I remember how I felt when I started college. I was just as excited and eager to be independent. DD is better prepared than I was and the practical side of me says not to worry. But the Mom side isn't listening … yet.
Can you hear me sniffling here in NY? Please post about how you're coping with an empty nest. Thinking of you!
ReplyDeleteHugs to you at this happy and sad milestone in a parent's life. I hope you are doing okay. Thank goodness for modern technology, what did our parents do? I remember calling home collect once a week!
ReplyDeleteWhat a weekend! Very bittersweet for you. I hope everything is working out for the both of you!
ReplyDeleteI remember how I felt when the house was too quiet and empty! Be sure and do lots of nice things for yourself, and keep busy.
ReplyDeleteI kept telling myself that both my daughters were doing what I'd raised them to do. Go to school, get a good education so that they could take care of themselves. Didn't work either. One day I finally realized I was living the life I'd dreamed aboout during those crazy days of single parenting. It is an adjustment. Take it easy, take care of yourself. It's a process. It takes time. One day your epiphany will come.
ReplyDeleteawww. I know you are so proud of her right now, safe trip!
ReplyDeleteHuge hug! It's so hard to let them go. College life is a transitioning phase for both parent and child. God's blessing on you and your DD.
ReplyDeleteHow are you doing? I remember how hard it was when my daughter went off to college. It takes a while.
ReplyDeleteHang in there! *HUGS*