Leaving the Nest

August 23rd, 2009 at 10:14 pm . Posted in My Life .

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My parents always took a picture of me every year on my first day of school.

I remember the day when I had to say goodbye to my parents when I left for college August 2003.

I was going to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and it was my first time ever going to New York exactly 2,287 miles away from home. I was a nervous wreck! Mom was going to fly with me to help me move in. The night before we were leaving, I could not sleep at all. I was sick to my stomach.

The next morning at the airport it came to the second when I had to say my goodbyes to my Dad and sister. I held it in until I saw my dad cry. My Dad does not cry and the last time I saw him cry was at his father’s funeral in 1996. As I went through the security gate with my Mom, I looked back and saw my Dad carrying my sister crying so hard and waving “I love you” until the minute he couldn’t see me anymore. I was an emotional mess but really glad my Mom was with me to comfort me.

Mom and I had an awesome weekend together in NY before I moved in. The big day came and we were on campus moving in. I only knew one person there which was Tyler, my then boyfriend and now husband. We were excited to finally not be long distance and living in the same dorm for a year.

I remember the morning Tyler’s family left. Tyler seemed to be fine until my mom and I were about to go out to dinner. It finally hit him that his family left and was an emotional mess. My Mom was supposed to stay a week but then decided to fly home the next day because I was busy with moving in and orientation. I remember the morning when I had to say bye to my Mom. I was bawling my eyes out and wanted to just fall to the ground and cling to my Mom’s legs and not let go.

I was this close to telling Mom to take me home with her. I didn’t want to grow up already. I couldn’t believe my life at home was over. My parents were going to do all these things without me. They were going to be a family of 3 at the house. This was it. The beginning of a new chapter that I wasn’t prepared for.

Every August was difficult saying goodbye. Now I’m so glad I won’t have to ever go through that again now that we live 5 miles away from my parents.

There are 6 comments to this post.
paul said... Aug 24, 2009 @ 12:00 am

haha wow. i know exactly how you feel. i felt sick the night before i left for my freshman year at RIT too, and felt sick on the morning of, i really didnt want to go and yeah i’ll admit it i cried when i left my house (my parents drove me up). august is a sad month for college kids! haha. i’m leaving next thursday and im going to have to say goodbyes again, ugh..

Kyla Roma said... Aug 24, 2009 @ 6:03 am

Oh wow- in Canada going away to university definitely isn’t such a given, I stayed home for my first year and after that I was dying to move out already lol I live right between both of my parent’s now, and while it’s a little close for comfort for me, being close to family is comforting.

amy said... Aug 24, 2009 @ 8:24 am

i think i lost 5 pounds that weekend moving in from just being sick to my stomach and nerves rattling me as well. but it’s amazing what we’ve gained from that experience and what we have to bring back all those years ago to that day. and before you know it you’ll be reading this post when you’re sending your kids off to college heh.

Angel said... Aug 24, 2009 @ 4:20 pm

Awww. I’m so glad you live near your parents now. I was quite the opposite when starting school. I couldn’t wait to leave and dreaded returning home; but my family and I don’t have the best of relationships. You were too adorable as a child! :)

Ashley said... Aug 28, 2009 @ 4:40 pm

Awwhh cute story. I think you’d like my weekly meme I just started, called Way Back Whensdays. :)

nicole said... Aug 30, 2009 @ 8:29 am

i know the feeling, when my parents came to help me move in and so forth i wanted them to leave as much as i could. because i grew up so independently that i thought i would be just fine. 2 days after they left, i broke down. that was when i realized i knew i was on my own. to this day i cherish my parents even more than anything because of the distance. i’m a bit closer than i was when i was in rochester but still it’s not the same.. which tempts me to move back to NJ haha.

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