I'm writirg this from my PDA. so the More Inside didn't work, but here it is. We just finished driving from Fort Worth, TX, to Cedar Repids. I'm connected to the net via a wireless connection at the Microtel Inn of Marion, IA.

So... have any of you sent a son or daughter away to college? Did it tear your heart out, or was it just another event along the way of raising your Kid?

Oh. WOW. No kidlets here, but I've watched a number of young'uns make their way out of high school, through college and beyond, and it's always been a mixture of exhilaration and heartache. As a parent, I can't even imagine.

mazel tov! is your kid excited?

I just got back from taking my daughter to college. Yeah it's pretty depressing - it's not just you. At least... I assume that you're feeling sad, even though you didn't actually say so.

This is her second year, so I've had one year to get used to the idea. It gets easier.

Aw Doohickie... I'm still about 15 yrs from sending mine off. Bet it's a bittersweet feeling.

I'm jealous of him, though. College was awesome.

Yeah...I thought it would be easy but as soon as we were out of his sight my eyes started watering.
It gets better, though.

The hard part is realising that your relationship has changed in a profound way. They aren't your "child" anymore in one sense.

mazel tov! is your kid excited?

He says.... ''Yes."

We just got back from dinner and driving aimlessly around Cedar Rapids. Charming town, but then again, I like mid-West charm (feels much more like home than Texas).

Got a call from my son's roommate; we made plans to meet him and his dad for lunch tomorrow. I'm looking forward to meeting them. It will be good to meet the kid my son will be living with this year.

As for the other question- I have very mixed feelings abut my son starting college. First, I'm very proud; he got a good scholarship. Then I'm worried he won't keep up his grades and will lose it. Then, I'm ENVIOUS; I remember how much I enjoyed my own college days and would love to relive them. Then, I'm panicked that I've been a bad dad & he's not equipped for the world (or at least Cedar Rapids). I gotta let go. And that's hard.

Aw, bunnyfire, your post is making me misty!

Big rite of passage for both of you, Doohickie. All the best.

Oh....I get all verklempt just thinking about it...and my kidlet is only two. Congrats to everyone strong enough to let them go away to school. :)

I have two in college. It wasn't that big a deal for me, I was excited for them more than I was sad for myself. But I also have a five year old. Last week he rode his little red bike to his first day of kindergarten, and I definitely misted up when he kissed me goodbye at the bike rack.

No kids here, but I do have two cousins that have gone to Coe College and loved it. One's still in Cedar Rapids.

Ah, relax. In four years you'll be misting back to this day, when your son, like my daughter, graduates from college, moves back in with you, complains for two months and then gets a job waiting tables. ;-)

Yeah, sometimes we come back! ;)

Well, met the roommate and his dad. It was almost creepy in that they seemed to be a mirror of us! My son is a skinny kid with too much hair, so is his roommate. Dad and I have similar occupations in the same industry. Both moms do the same thing too! Both roommates are music geeks. Both have one sibling- a younger brother.

They are from Cedar Rapids, so they offered to help if my son needs anything. That's a comfort. And Cedar Rapids seems to be so laid back compared to Fort Worth.