For me (and probably my husband and Thing 2), the last several weeks leading up to her departure were full of secret moments of dread and at times, I believed my heart would break wide open at the thought of her being so far away from all of us. After all, who would the three of us be without Caroline here to complete the foursome of us? We are so blessed to have a family that not only loves each other, but genuinely likes each other and spends quite a bit of time together enjoying being together. None of us were able to wrap our brains around how she could be so far apart from us, and yet still keep it all the same.
It isn't the same, but two weeks have passed and I'm happy (and thankful) to report that the three of us here at home are settling into our new "normal", even though we still (and will likely always) miss her like crazy. At home there are still tests to study for, groceries to buy, work days to get through, and even though it seemed unbelievable a few weeks ago - fun things to do. Life goes on. Thank heavens for Skype, unlimited texting, and cell phones!!
Meanwhile down south, Caroline has met so many new friends, loves her classes and roommates and the city of Savannah, and is being challenged creatively every day - exactly what she wanted. We're so proud of her!!
Here are a few shots of her new little corner of the world taken on move-in day...
Our rental van packed full of stuff...
The trip odometer as we pulled into our driveway at home after a whirlwind 102 hours away: 2102 miles and almost 37 hours of driving...
Oh it must be so hard when they leave for college. I am a university teacher in my day job and tend to forget these are kids who have left home for the first time. Will keep that in mind when we start in 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteMy son started preschool this year and I thought my heart would break in two. I can't imagine how I'll handle him leaving home for the first time! I'm glad to hear everyone is adjusting so well to the new normal.
ReplyDeleteThe quilt you made for her is beautiful! I'm sure that helps her feel at home!
We have been going through exactly the same thing this fall. I've just been "off" since my daughter left. We miss her terribly! It's all so much different from when we were in school. I can't imagine what it must have been like for my mom, waiting for letters and that one expensive long distance call each week! Savannah is a beautiful city. I visited a few years ago with my Girl Scouts.
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