Departure

We got to Terre Haute on Friday and got Patrick moved in to his dorm. A small army of upper class students were waiting to unload the parade of cars. All we had to do was tell them his room number, and magically all of his stuff was transported from the back of our camper to his room. It's a nice room, 3rd floor, air conditioned, close to the bathroom and shower, and has a nice view out the window. I met his roommate briefly. He seemed nice but quite shy. Not athletic though. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Orientation was interesting. The address by the college president was very inspiring! Each moment though this process has made us feel like this is the best place for him to be. The money and distance from home seem to be less of an issue the more we realize the how valuable this experience will be for him.

The hardest part of this was saying goodbye to my son. I really thought I was emotionally prepared for this event. All the reasons for coming here, all the benefits, and opportunities - this was the purpose of everything he had done during high school. Yet, he's my baby boy, even though he towers over me these days. We take things for granted sometimes. And we don't always appreciate the everyday things that pass by. Now, I know that I will miss him immensely every day. I don't have to nag him to get up, or to eat, or get off the computer to clean his room. But I won't hear his dry sense of humor, and funny comments on the events of the day. We won't be able to go out to chase bugs with our cameras in the back yard. We won't be spotting Mini's and Lotus' as we drive around town together. I won't be able to watch him swim and feel the excitement of his races. We won't be sharing an occasional trip to Subway when Mom is away. But as much as I want to keep him near, I know that this is where he needs to be and this is the best path for his future.

So, this is a new chapter in our lives. Sad and exciting at the same time. I can hardly wait to see what happens next.