My youngest daughter just packed a cut-out of Bill Hader in the car to take to her sophomore year of college in San Marcos, Texas. #Essentials.
This past week a picture of my oldest daughter moving into Trinity University in 2006 came up in social media memories. What a journey it’s all been. There was also the middle daughter who started out as a marine biology major at Texas A&M. Kids are such an adventure.
Tomorrow I’ll be an empty nester, again. With Zoë, the youngest, less than an hour away, and in a pandemic, she was often back home last year for her freshman year, what with holidays and of course the summer. So my empty nestering was only for a few weeks at a time. All that build up last summer….the last one gone…you’re gonna feel so….(free, lonely?)….and then she was home for Labor Day LOL, and many times after that. Honestly, I saw her just as much in high school as her first year of college. In high school (pre winter 2020 semester of course) she was busy. School, theater, friends, all the time she spent in her room. ;) I hardly ever saw her except when she needed a ride. We spent a lot of car time together talking about our lives, though.
I’m hoping that her sophomore year is much better than her freshman COVID year was. Most of that was spent on her bed in her dorm room, Zooming. A theater major, doing virtual school. When we look back at this, we know it’s gonna look ridiculous. But what else could we do?
Tomorrow we drive from San Antonio to San Marcos. It used to be a 40 minute trip back when I lived there. These days it can be an hour, 2….3 even. More precious car time. We’ve got the whole day to make the trip. The car is all packed. We are about to watch some dumb sitcom and eat popcorn. Zoë will probably come up with a reason to make me listen to some Elton John. So many reasons to live. #love
Monday morning I’ll jump back into my work life, which always keeps me busy, and I’ll think about what an adventure Zoë is embarking on. Her life just starting with so many cool experiences before her. I remember being 19 with endless possibilities stretching out into the future. My oldest child traveled to Florida to be a journalist after college and the middle child lit up stages in California and Connecticut.
I can’t wait to see what this one will do.
Life is good.
