There is a pile of stuff in the living room that is designated to be loaded into my car tomorrow for it is another edition of Dad’s moving services.
My baby girl who is baby only by order of birth and not by age is going back to school. It has been really nice to have her home and I have gotten used to her being around.
But time passes and the summer that is will soon become the summer that was and she’ll be working on papers, labs and all of the assorted stuff that comes with college life.
And me, well I’ll look at this post one more time as it reminds me of some of the things I’ll want to discuss with her.
Tomorrow I’ll walk through the apartment and confirm there are some working flashlights in key places and I’ll double check the smoke alarms.
There are waters and sports drinks in the trunk of the car and depending on the time I may even shoot over to Carshons to pick up some sandwiches for lunch.
My weather app says it is supposed to be 107 so we’ll find out if the AC in the new place works as it should.
Got a few other notes like a reminder to make sure there is a roll or two of toilet paper in the car just in case, something about a few tools and the note to make sure the First Aid kit from the dorm comes too.
How Much More Will It Cost
Somewhere during the move-in I am sure I’ll hear about something that is missing that is important and there will be a conversation about whether to run by Target or Costco.
Those places will be slammed with parents and college students so ideally the items needed will be something simple like napkins, place mats or tea.
If not there is a good chance we won’t find it because the shelves will have been picked clean. But the good news is there are ample resources for securing items so whatever we don’t have is unlikely to be on the list of missing-in-action for long.
I’ll make a crack about how much more it costs to move her in and smile because I expect there will be something. I thought about making a guess and throwing it into a drawer so I can pull it out later and see if I was right.
Ideally Bob Barker will shout you have overbid and I’ll smile because it means we planned well or that the roommate did.
Either way is good and when I leave I’ll remind her that I love her and wish her a great year. “Be safe, have fun and learn a few things.”
It is an exciting time for my daughter who goes back to school having made friends and gained experiences last year that provide her with a sense of knowing what to expect.
She is helped by not having three other roommates that she didn’t know prior to moving into the dorms.
This time there is only one and having already lived together they know something about each other.
So back into the breach we go while she continues to push forward towards a dream she has had for many years.
I’ll remind her once more that she has my full support and that if she discovers the course she has set upon doesn’t meet her needs she can pivot if needed.
Experiences Are Important
Somewhere during the mix and move-in I’ll remind my daughter one more time to take advantage of opportunities and experiences as they come.
Education is of paramount importance and should be part of a lifetime of learning but experiences are critical too.
There are moments that provide invaluable lessons that you cannot find in any other way than by experiencing them.
Some are easily identified and or quantified but many aren’t. Many are unseen, unknown and unlooked for so you don’t discover them unless you let your sense of curiosity and adventure guide you a bit.
Sometimes I remind the children that much of what I know isn’t because I am a voracious reader but because I have gone out and done things.
They have too so it is not like they haven’t but sometimes I think it is important for me to remind them not to let life get so busy that you miss out on living.
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