<p>I'm sure many of you will struggle emotionally, as I did, as your plebe leaves to return to the academy. The departure was extra stressful on my wife and I since our son has made spring break plans and will not return "home" until June.</p>
<p>I had breakfast with him this morning (one of the few days he was up at an hour suitable for breakfast) and had an interesting conversation that I thought you might find helpful in understanding the psyche of a plebe returning from Christmas break.</p>
<p>When asked how he enjoyed his leave and if he was ready to go back to West Point, he said he loved Christmas leave and the opportunity to visit with his friends ( I'm sure he meant family but misspoke). However, he kind of wished it hadn't been so long since he knew the readjustment to academy life was going to be much tougher than it had been after Thanksgiving leave. </p>
<p>He commented that being a plebe "sucked" but that it was more tolerable when everyone around you is suffering with you and when you aren't confronted by friends living a much more laid back lifestyle. </p>
<p>He said that his friends home from college didn't find the Christmas break late hours/late sleep-in lifestyle that much different from school. In fact, most of his friends were looking forward to returning to college so that they could regain some of the freedom lost during the Christmas break at their parent's house. In contrast, our son realized that his return to West Point meant the severe curtailment, not expansion, of his personal freedoms. </p>
<p>As our son dutifully proceeded through the airport security gate, I reflected on West Point's unique character building aspects and the love/hate relationship between a cadet and West Point. My respect for our plebes grows daily.</p>
<p>Happy New Year to all. My prayers go out to all our plebes and their supportive families.</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing that Aspen. That attitude exemplified by your son is a quality that I believe draws these kids to the academies in the first place. When one hears that there are still young people in our country who strive to go further and do more with their lives than the average person, it gives us all hope for the future. How blessed we all are to be able to experience being the parent of one of these special individuals!</p>
<p>Aspen, you have our thanks as Americans & respect as parents for raising such a dutiful son. As your bird leaves the nest, may he fly high & strong! Even tho' our son hasn't hit I-day yet, we'll be remembering all y'all's sons & daughters in our thoughts & prayers - theirs is not the easy road.</p>
<p>June! My heart breaks for you guys. Its very interesting to read your perspective. I've got two more days before reflecting. Trying to stop the clock at the moment. I can feel him getting anxious. He has repeatly said that it wouldn't be so bad if he could take his bed, have some "real" food available when it's wanted and to make it 70 degrees when he has to go on runs. And like your son, I'm sure mine really meant, "And I want my parents to be in Long Island with me." </p>
<p>Do you recall this time last year when we had no idea what this would be like? Amazing huh?! Even though my Plebe lives in hard reality, I find we are still walking around on cloud nine that he's there. I wish them all the best returning in this new year. Their new self-assured attitudes will carry them through the bleak winter days. I hope.</p>
<p>aspen- thank you for sharing that moment with your son with all the rest of us! As for us, shipped the torpedo back to his foundation school today- certainly not nearly as heartwrenching as all of you are going through this year- but still a reminder that while the roots came relatively easy, the wings are so much harder! </p>
<p>You all have so very much to be proud of- including a year that is half behind them! Congrats to you all!</p>
<p>My son will be in Florida with the crew in March(spring break) but thanks to living an hour from New London we get to see him quite often. But it's all part of the growth process and the academy experience. We have a couple other cadets on hand who came in from out of state a couple days before returning to school. They are already talking about where they want to go for their summer training(they go on a cutter for five weeks).</p>
<p>Hi all! Just a word of encouragement from a youngster parent. It is indeed hard to send them back. This time last year we were wondering if ours would go back, he was so miserable, but when the airline called and said "be at the airport in 45 minutes or the next flight will be tomorrow," well, we woke him up from his nap and he dressed in mid fashion (quickly!) and off we went. Maybe it was easier that way, since there was no time to think about it. But, really, he knew that he was going back to a place where he was always on edge and working at capacity. It is hard to psyche yourself up for. </p>
<p>This year has been so much different! He is happy, has made appointments and gotten a lot accomplished on his own, seen his friends, and spent a great deal of time with us. He is sad to see what has happened with many of the young people he went to high school with, and is very disappointed in some of the decisions that have been made in the last year by these young people. One can truly see paths diverging. He was jealous of their month-long breaks, but they are all working, so they aren't really at leisure.</p>
<p>He is also amazed that next year at this time he will be a second class, and we are amazed that in just little more than a year and a half we will be going to Firstie Parent Weekend. This is a quick ride! Enjoy it all, the downs just make the ups sweeter (at least for us parents) and before you know it we will be sitting in the stadium with tears running down our faces wondering where the time went. </p>
<p>Give your kids hugs and smiles and lots of boodle! It has to last them (and you!) a while!</p>
<p>Gray Period
At West Point it is referred to as the "Gray Period". The start of my sons second semester at WP was the toughest. The weather is gray, the uniforms are gray the buildings are gray. After a 2 week plus vacation this is a hard time for our sons and daughters. I am sure it effects all the academies about the same. And this dreary period is not reserved for the plebes. It effects all classes. Over the next few weeks that extra package or phone call will be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Aspen - I had to laugh when I saw that being a plebe "sucks". That was the exact term my son used. Graduation day 2006 he will instantly no longer be a plebe and a great weight will be lifted from his shoulders. I remember my son saying at the end of his summer training this year (Camp Buckner) that the training was much more physically demanding than his plebe year. The HUGE difference was that there was nobody in your facing constantly yelling at you. It does go quicly (for the parents).</p>
<p>"Plebe life sucks" should be placed in the admission's materials they send out. Its a theme! :D </p>
<p>HA! Boss! I will finally be closer to your son than you are. I'm gonna go fetch him and see that he gets plenty of shrimp & grits. I don't know when we'll see our kid again. Training over spring break then training over summer which is only like 2 weeks anyhow, then off to sea. I feel a trip to NY coming in our future if we want to see him.</p>
<p>And Navy2010 - Congrats to you as well. You have a little bit of time left before your son is saying, 'being a Plebe sucks'. </p>
<p>Thanks Momof1 yet again. Helpful words but I'm still gonna go hang myself off my shower curtain rod in a minute. Right after I finish this pile of dove chocolates I hid. <em>jamzmom wipes a tear</em></p>
<p>I'm feeling the pain, too. My daughter informed me that she will come home for a day or two over spring break, then will be visiting several friends at different colleges.</p>
<p>Besides saying that it "sucks" to her family, I was amused when people outside the immediate family asked her if she likes West Point. Her answer with a chuckle was always "sometimes". I finally asked her if she ever thought she made the wrong choice or if she thought she'd want to transfer. The answer was more telling. She asked, "Why would you ever think that? Just because I don't always love it all the time, doesn't mean it's not the place where I belong. I'm half-way through plebe year and I will graduate with my class."</p>
<p>haha MOT - had a similar response when I asked our son if he was going to accept the appointment - he said, "Are you retarded?".</p>
<p>I thought it was interesting how the mids on the xanga sites posted on the "Interesting reading" thread were so ready to get back to Annapolis. It's a little sad to think of them "moving on" with their lives, but isn't this what we've been trying to prepare them for? We can be thankful that they will be at a place that continues so well the job of preparing them for life. </p>
<p>I know we parents of the class of 2010 are just barely beginning to grasp what academy life will mean for our kids - thank you so much to all the current academy parents who post here - SO helpful!</p>
<p>MOT, after some griping last summer I told mine to go up to the U and register for Fall Semester if he wasn't going back. His response was "Just because I don't want to go back doesn't mean I'm not going back, geesh." Mine just vents periodically.:)</p>
<p>At usafa, this begins the dark ages....little sun, it goes behind the mountains in the early afternoon. It is cold, so everyone wears their hoods up over their heads. Moods are dark, because they all have been home and really would like to stay a little longer.</p>
<p>Arrrrrgggg. "I'm sure many of you will struggle emotionally"... yea right Aspen. Here's what you should have said, "I'm sure many of you will experience a pain much like having hot coals spread on your chest and sharp needles stuck in your eyes".... It wasn't just extra stress on your wife you Man you, she's dying! Go run her a hot bath and get her fuzzy robe ready with some hot chocolate. Do it nooooooowwwwwww.</p>
<p>Gray Period
At West Point it is referred to as the "Gray Period". The start of my sons second semester at WP was the toughest. The weather is gray, the uniforms are gray the buildings are gray. After a 2 week plus vacation this is a hard time for our sons and daughters. I am sure it effects all the academies about the same. And this dreary period is not reserved for the plebes. It effects all classes. Over the next few weeks that extra package or phone call will be greatly appreciated.</p>
<hr>
<p>It's interesting to note that this is also a very tough time for HS foriegn exchange students who are here for an academic year. Homesickness runs high! These teens have either just missed Christmas with their natural (as opposed to "host") families or just been enveloped in some truly strange cultural rituals. They are no longer getting the benefit of the doubt because English isn't their 1st language. (While they do pick up on teen slang with most of the nuances amazingly quickly, they <em>can't</em> get it all in just 4 months.) Their friends at home aren't keeping in contact as often as before (and sometimes don't realize that the exchange student is trying to keep up with lots of people). They have discovered that US teens make shallow friendships easily, but deeper relationships take more time. They miss having good friends around. Besides, the weather is gray in many parts of the US. </p>
<p>All their host families can do is say "I know. I'm sorry," and offer little treats/surprises to try to comfort the exchange student. (Host families do not say, "You knew this was going to happen now. This is the lowest part of your year here." :()</p>