<p>^^^Absolutely not! :P</p>
<p>Somehow it seems out of place to write this here, but we’re heading out today to drop off DD… and lots of emotions crisscrossing my mind for the past several days. A day of joy and celebration for a new chapter of her life and independence… yet indescribable sadness overwhelming all over me…</p>
<p>No-it does not seem out of place at all. I will be in your shoes in a week when we drop off DS and I’m sure I will feel exactly the same way. Your post struck a chord with me. It’s a day I’ve been looking forward to for months yet, on the other hand, dreading at the same time. Ugh! </p>
<p>I don’t have much to say but just wanted to let you know you are not alone…</p>
<p>Good luck today!</p>
<p>@SharingGift, my DD left yesterday with her dad and I feel exactly the same, even though this is her 3rd year. It gets both easier and harder. All the best in the world to your family, and to @Newbie3kids as well!</p>
<p>We’re sitting in the Charlotte airport right now on a three-hour layover to Hartford. This is my fourth drop-off trip, and it has gotten harder, not easier. I didn’t shed a tear freshman year, now it’s all I can do not to stop hugging him. He’s tolerating me pleasantly. I posted my feelings on the Class of 2015 thread. Yeah, I’m feeling all of that and then some.</p>
<p>Good luck to all of our kids this year no matter where they are on this journey. Safe travels to all.</p>
<p>What a crazy time with lots of emotions. I was thinking about it last night and feel like the best analogy for it is this; it’s like it feels as you wait in line for a roller coaster. I am usually exhilarated and scared at the same time. I am excited, but part of me wants to just run away. It helps that my son is feeling really relaxed about the whole thing. He is feeling like it is just time for it to begin. His siblings and all his friends all went back to school last Tuesday. He feels as though he is in limbo.
One thing that really helped was a gathering for new local students that was held last week. It made me so happy to see my son laughing and joking with the kids who may very well be his closest friends. I think it also helped to prepare him. There really aren’t many examples of other kids going to BS around here. A couple of kids went to Catholic school, but no one that he knows is doing this. I’m really very proud of him for taking such an incredible leap!</p>
<p>D2, rising senior, is due back at school (45 min away) no later than 2 pm tomorrow. We’ve been away from home since Friday morning picking up D1, got back this evening and have yet to pack any clothing although Thursday night we did pull together all the sundry objects that came back from school in June. D2 has not quite finished required summer work although she is close. And she’s exhausted after the weekend. She just went to bed and I will follow, hopefully getting the rest together tomorrow am. Good thing is it’s a short enough trip I can run down with anything we miss
@-) </p>
<p>I think drop off for the last year of BS is the toughest. So many “lasts”. </p>
<p>I am off to drop my daughter off for pre-season on Tuesday. For the past month, I have been totally ready for her to go back (anyone lived with a teenaged girl lately… LOL), but last night, all of a sudden, I got very sad. It has been nice to have her in the house and, thankfully, boarding schools have long vacations. Being the second year, I thought I was prepared for her to go – there is way less anxiety because we know what to expect, and what worked and what didn’t. But, it is still very hard to let your 15 year old “go away”. One mitigating factor is the fact that she loves the school and is excited to return… so: mixed emotions here (mostly happy, but…).</p>
<p>Well, packing actually went reasonably well–there are 2 or 3 items that seemed to have vanished over the summer (like D2’s graphing calculator) that I’ll look for, but she got there promptly with basically what she needs. It’s funny, I’m a pretty sentimental person who chokes up at movies and touching stories on FB, but was not at all teary at leaving her. It think it’s because this school is clearly where she belongs! Maybe because she transferred and just started a year ago, the fact that it’s the last time wasn’t so emotionally loaded (and I won’t miss schlepping all her stuff up 4 flights to the highest dorm floor on campus for the 2nd year in a row!)</p>
<p>Ok, as we were packing last night and the closet started to empty, it suddenly hit me. I was struck cold in my tracks by the realization that when she goes off to school that this will no longer be “home” but more of a stopping place between adventures. I have been so supportive of my daughter going to BS because I know it is what she needs, but it never quite hit me that I am giving up these last two years with her,… I need to get the hang of remote parenting quickly.</p>
<p>How much gear is too much (for a girl)? There is no way it will fit in my car. How do you all fit it in? We live too far to do more than one car trip, but I’m wondering if kids pack like it is summer camp and just make do?</p>
<p>
You don’t need to bring EVERYTHING now. In fact, considering the small amt of available storage space in a dorm room, less is more. It’s not pleasant to have too much stuff.</p>
<p>Best to see the dormroom first, survey what it needs, then do some precision supplemental shopping at the local Target, Office Depot or Bed Bath Beyond for the bulky stuff (e.g., ergonomic desk chair, full length mirror) rather than haul it all from afar.</p>
<p>If u are planning to attend Fall Parents Weekend in about 6 week’s time, that would be an ideal time to bring the balance of her winter clothes and remove her summer clothes. Another thing I learned about clothing is it’s a good idea to see what the experienced boarders at the school are wearing, then do supplemental online shopping. </p>
<p>My kid’s school allows them to move their stuff into their next years closets during exam week, and leave it over the summer (closets have keyed locks). Even so, our car was packed full. Fortunately, we ran into her advisor as we arrived, and he graciously helped her carry everything upstairs, while I unloaded items from the car. Easiest move in yet! It’s a little easier this time because I know what to expect… But I am still very much missing my daughter’s delightful company. She worked full time this summer and was happy in her job and thrilled to be earning her own money. We had lots of quality time together and really enjoyed one another’s company… So I am really missing her chirpy smiley presence. Already looking forward to the long Fall Weekend.</p>
<p>Well, the car is packed and we are heading out shortly. It’s about a 3-4 hour drive. It’s funny. DD was nervous all summer but she is calm and excited this morning. I’ve been walking around with watery eyes wondering why my allergies are acting up. :"> </p>
<p>Ispy42: we tooK WAY stuff last year. We don’t live close either. But UPS is your friend. Or swap clothing at parents weekend/thanksgiving/etc… </p>
<p>Cameo reminded me that in addition to our BS having a service you pay for (started by an alumnus) to store boxes locally, there is also a vendor that will take your seniors’ boxes and ship them to their college, so you can avoid taking any stuff home, if you so choose. Just jettison the tired, worn items. Our school has a depository in each dorm for Good Will at the end of the year and storage for seniors to bequeath good items like bookcases or couches to underclassman. I was so impressed to see the list of colleges available for shipping. Unfortunately, all of the colleges were East Coast schools, so my son who is now a Freshman at a West Coast school was out of luck…but still I will be tempted if DD #2 chooses an East Coast College…very convenient.</p>
<p>Our plan for DS was to fly out with a couple suitcases and purchase everything including bedding, towels, printer, etc at a local Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Best Buy. It worked great! All those brand stores had a list from all the colleges for what students needed. They had a lot of their merchandise right at the curb ready to stow in your trunk of your rental for drivebys, AND you could even purchase items online ahead of time and they bundled them for you and had them ready for you when you pulled up to the front door. Unbelievably easy…but going back to the OP,
with one now in College and one back at BS…it is a little sad. Sigh…can’t wait til next summer!..Or better still Thanksgiving. DS originally thought he would stay at college…he just called a little while ago saying after carefully reviewing his syllabi and schedule, he will indeed be traveling back home for Turkey Day! We must have raised him right. :)</p>
<p>You guys are KILLING me because I’m pretty sure my car was still moving when we dropped off K2…</p>
<p>Our last BS drop off turned into a drive- by. I didn’t even get to make his bed!! What the heck!!!</p>
<p>After we brought everything to up his room, he decided to unpack later and head over to the student center. So… there we were sitting in the car watching him walk away and he kept turning around ( like why aren’t you leaving?) so we stayed parked ( sometimes inching up a little bit)… staring at him. Then he turned the corner and I quickly cut through a parking lot so we would be parked in front of the student center when he came down the path… He was laughing pretty hard when he saw us. </p>
<p>Obviously, my husband and I like to amuse ourselves…</p>
<p>So, after we terrorized our child and hopefully embarrassed him in front of his friends, we stopped and had lunch ( which is our tradition ). My husband held up his glass and said, Here’s to us. He usually toasts the kids, but this year he toasted us, which I thought was very fitting. </p>
<p>And that’s what I’d like to say to all the BS parents out there: Here’s to us. 
I hope everyone has a wonderful year. Cheers!</p>
<p>The BBB & Target near S2’s school were TOTALLY cleaned out of fans, funtack, Command Hooks, & desk lamps by the college crowd. We were in a panic until we tried Home Depot. It had everything we were looking for-- whew!</p>
<p>@GMTplus7: Don’t say I didn’t warn you!</p>