The Nest Reality

 We are more than mid-way through the month of July and summer is quickly going.  Too quickly!  As usual, I'm not sure where the time is going, but the reality of what's coming is slapping me in the face.

Yesterday my son got his room assignment and the name of his roommate.  In all honesty, the reason WE knew is because my husband and I attended a college webinar (my son DID NOT, but should have, and he WILL be attending next Wednesday nights which focuses on living on campus) and they mentioned that students had been emailed their room assignments.  So, when he got home from his "date" with his girlfriend, we had him check his email and there it was!

So the exciting news is that he will be living on the 13th floor of the dorm that houses (mostly) freshman (I believe) and that his room SHOULD have a harbor view.  (As someone pointed out the view from across the river is better than the view you get from NYC.  You are LOOKING at the city. Or maybe you're looking at Brooklyn?)  Being on the top floor of the building, I'm guessing, means that the view will be unobscured.  Totally cool!

What's not so cool is the move in time.  They have a lot of students to move into the 13 floors (?) building and students are loaded in from top to bottom.  (Which makes sense.)  Since my son is on the top floor, he is in the first move in block, with the plan that all residents are moved in by noon.  The "time window" for the 13th floor?  6:45-7:15 AM!  YIKES!

Now for me, this is not too much of a problem.  I'm an early riser.  (You already knew that right?)  My husband can deal with it.  My son?  Teen boy moving in at 6:45 in the morning?  This is NOT going to be pretty.

In all honesty, this is probably a good thing and isn't too much of a hardship on us.  We live about an hour away from campus and at that hour in the morning the NJ Turnpike shouldn't be too bad.  We may even make it in record time.  (Have I just jinxed myself by saying that?  Have I condemned myself to traffic jams on the Turnpike and 278?)    I can see us being there AHEAD of time.  (Will my son be mortified if we are the first to arrive?)

Additionally, knowing my son (and based on our experience when he went to summer camp), once he's in, he'll probably want us out.  While I know there are parent events (including a "happy" hour late in the date), I have a feeling that he will be pushing us out the door.  (And I'm NOT going to want to go.)  As much as I would like to hover on campus, we will probably be one of the first to leave.  (Can I hide a spy camera in his t -shirt so I can see exactly how the first day unfolds?  I'm kidding!  I'm kidding!  I'm kidding?)

This email from college hits home how little time we have left and how unprepared I feel we are.  Months ago we ordered (and received) room essentials (bedding, towels, etc.).  They are sitting in a box in our sun parlor.  (So that it should be easy to load into the car).  But what about all the other "little" things? What does he need?  What did I take with me to college?  (Is that even relevant today?)  With everything that's been going on, we (I) haven't been focused on this.  What do we need?  What do we need to do?  We haven't even gotten our son a new laptop!  (His Chromebook is not going to cut it.)  We DO have plans to do that this weekend.  I'm starting to panic (and it doesn't take much to make me panic).  I am the organized one; my son is NOT.  (This is something I'm hoping he will FINALLY learn.)  Lists need to be made.  Plans need to be made.  We need to get ready!  We need to BE ready!  I don't want to be running to Target on move in day.

Okay, so now I AM panicking!  Talk me down!  Talk me down!  There are only 35 days till move in.

Deep breath.  I know this will be all right.  I know this will work out, but it's so much easier to PANIC!  Soon my husband and I will be living in a new reality and my son will have his own nest.  It's a wonderful rite of passage, but it's also nerve wracking and scary.  (And not just for my son!)  Deep breath.  DEEP breath!

Stay tuned for updates and more news as we race towards move in day!