<p>And as far as whether or not it's "normal" is concerned, there is no such thing! Everyone is different. My D is going to school 13 hours from home, and I have no problem with that (yes, I'll miss her ... but this is what she wants to do, so I support her). I have friends who can't imagine "allowing" their kids to go so far away. My D has friends who wouldn't dream of going anywhere that isn't an easy drive home. And there's my friend who left her kids here in the states while she & her husband moved half a world away. The world is interesting because we are all different!</p>