GG's room over the last week has slowly but consistently been emptied of all it's possessions. Some are going into boxes in the attic. Some are going into bags to be donated. A lot of things are just being thrown out altogether. And some things are being packed up to go with her. She's moving onto campus this weekend and slowly watching the progression of her character filled room turn back into just four walls is a little bitter sweet.
When each of the older girls got old enough to start thinking about college, I told them about my experiences. I told them about living in the dorms. Making sleds out of cafeteria trays. About seeing the "Grade D Meat Suitable For Human Consumption" boxes on the loading docks and eating baked potatoes and cereal the whole rest of the semester. I told them about dropping classes because I couldn't understand the professor. About TA's who made me crazy. I told them about the professor who gave me an F on his final in his words because "I obviously have no idea what I'm doing" and in my opinion because he doesn't give A's in his class and failing my final was the only way I was not going to have an A in his class. I told them about my roommates, frat parties and delivering margaritas in the shower. I also told them about professors and classes I loved. About projects that took me weeks to get right, and about late night study sessions at The Pantry - the only 24 hour coffee place that would let us poor college students stay as long as we liked as long as we purchased one bottomless cup of coffee. And I told them about the amazing friends I'd made, friends I still have today (you know who you are!).
When LW went off to college, she had to do the same thing. Clean out her room. I had similar feelings then about watching her room slowly empty of all its character. I think in a different house, I might have let each of the girls keep their rooms and all their old things just as they left them. But maybe not. Cleaning out all your childhood stuff I think is a rite of passage. Giving yourself permission to let go of that life and fully embrace the new experiences ahead of you might be just as important as the experiences themselves. At any rate, in our tiny three bedroom 1200 SF house, space is at a premium and LW had to clean out her room to make way for GG, and now GG is cleaning out her room to make way for Bunny. It's tradition now, I guess.
I've described GG's entrance into the collegiate world as an adventure before, because that's truly how I see it. New people, new places, new experiences. Moving on campus with its semi-independence is another huge step into adulthood. And I am at the same time excited for her, sad to see her go and a teeny tiny bit jealous of the journey she's about to go on. College was for me, one of the very best times of my life and I know to the bottom of my heart, that she will love it as much as I did.
Seriously.. Thoughts?
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