Moving Back Home for the Summer–My College Boy is Back

Wow, how this year has flown by, and dragged on at the same time, with my first baby off to college and now on his way back home for the summer.

He was three and a half hours away by car, a world away in my heart.

When he left, I went through some major separation anxiety.

He did just fine.

I had what I’d consider a full blown panic attack as I left him in his dorm  at the University of Alabama. I literally couldn’t breathe as I hugged him goodbye, took the elevator down the three stories and walked out of the building.   I didn’t look back because I didn’t want him to see me crying.

I craved calls, or even texts, to hear how he was doing.

All of my friends with kids at college got plenty of that.  Me, not so much.

We made a pact that I would need to text him first.  And calls might happen weekly, but he wasn’t much of a talker.

I knew what was happening by checking his Facebook page.  This was hard on me because I always considered the two of us pretty  close by most standards.

The kiddo wanted to spread his wings, and that he did.

He had an amazing first year.   He joined the Million Dollar Marching Band.  He made friends easily, traveling the country for football games.  We got to see him on TV when the football games were televised (see his ESPN cameo below). He even had the luck of being at the school that took the national championship and he got to be there to witness it as part of that marching band, all on the school’s dime.

His grades weren’t so great, even switching his major the first week of classes.  The poor kid ended up with Shingles, the painful disorder that makes it difficult for many to function.  He took his car to college this year and broke down twice heading home, both times with blown tires.  And, he stopped a robbery at a convenience story (this will be an entirely different post one day), knocking a gun from the robber’s hand.  He survived it all (thank goodness)!

All in all, it was a crazy year.  He will say he had the time of his life.  And that makes me very happy.

My college years were tough, but fun.  I wanted that same experience for my child.

Now, as he heads home, I wonder what the next year will be like.  He’s hinted at travel abroad.  I’d hate to see him go, again, but would love for him to have that experience.  You know what I mean.

Moving out of the dorm was very different from moving in.  Moving in, the university had helpers there to show you the way.  Moving out, we were on our own, and the elevator was broken.  Lucky for us we got to work with Campus Bellhops, a cool company created by a couple of guys recently out of college who realized a need and are satisfying it.  We were given complimentary service in exchange for spreading the word, but they are very affordable, so be sure to check them out. (#ad www.campusbellhops.com)

Until the fall semester starts, I’m thrilled to have my son back home, where I can hug him tight, when he lets me.

And I’m sure it’ll be just as hard to let him go when he leaves again in two short months.