mythmom

One of my least favorite phone calls was when D called and said, "Mom, Broadway is so busy at 3 a.m. I had absolutely no fear walking from N's dorm to my dorm alone."

Sigh.

I said, "I know you're going to do these things, but do you have to tell me?"

D started going into the city very young for dance and many of her friends navigated alone, so I just had to get used to it.

I worked in Manhattan at fifteen and made the commute myself so I really didn't have a leg to stand on, unless anxiety produces an extra leg. If so, I was an octopus.

LIMOMOF2

Good advice, Harriet. I feel pretty confident that D can find her way around the city - even in the Village and SOHO, if they venture down that way. I'm not sure about the subways and have no clue if they plan to take the subway (but I hope not).

mythmom - that phone call would have scared me too. I also started going into the city when I was young - and I had to go through East New York and Bed-Stuy which were very dangerous neighborhoods back then (maybe still, I don't know if they've improved since then). It's hard for me to tell D she can't take the LIRR into the city, when I was taking the A train when I was younger than she is.

CountingDown

I started letting the guys take the subway into town around freshman year -- the dentist is near a station, both can hop a train from near their schools and meet us in town, etc. With cell phones, I don't worry much, and they are good about keeping me updated. We've been hauling them around various cities and places since they were babies, so they are pretty savvy travelers.

S has flown several times to various schools and taken the 55 bus solo from Midway to UChicago a couple of times now -- if he wasn't comfortable with that, then he'd have to do some thinking about what kind of environment he wants. However, he is perfectly happy NOT to get his driver's license, so public transit is fine by him.

runnersmom

Update from Uzbekistan...phone rings at 9:30pm tonight and not thinking anything of it my H answers. It's the boy, from Samarkand with an Italian lilt to his speech! Now you have to understand that 9:30pm our time is 6:30am his time. The only way this boy has seen 6:30am voluntarily in the last 10 years is if he's still up from the night before! But apparently the temperature reaches close to 100f by 2pm, so they start very early. He's really enjoying both his "colleagues", all from Italy, and the experience. As he said, "yesterday I spent my time scraping 1,000 year old dirt off the fortress wall, how cool is that?!" Hard to get many details from my usually non-communicative son in the short time I've budgeted for each phone call, but boy was it great to hear his very tired voice!
NYC subway - Samarkand, Uzbekistan...I should be ready for this.

BunsenBurner

runnersmom, woo-hoo, I'm glad to hear that your son made it to his destination safely and is happy! That's the most important thing. You might get a bunch of interesting stories especially about traditional Uzbek food. 100 degrees or not, the tea is always hot and the food is very fatty (think of 1/2-inch layer of fat covering your soup). And it can get very warm down there. Have you seen those thick, long robes Uzbeks wear in the summer? They protect their bodies from the heat, since the outside temperature can be higher than normal body temperature. If your son ventures out into a local marketplace to shop for souvenirs or fruit, he has to bargain. Accepting the "sticker" price used to be considered as a sign of disrespect towards the seller. But things change, so it could be different now

2blue

What an experience, runnersmom. I'm glad he made it okay. It sounds like an amazing adventure.

lindz126

runnersmom--I am impressed with your giving your child wings--what a great trip-and he sounds confident managing---your trust and support to explore is a wonderful gift you gave him.

countingdown--also like how your son navigates buses, trains and planes...my kids love flying and exploring. down in S Florida no real transit so kids drive at 16--son was driving next to a car yesterday that crashed into another and then flipped over on its roof and slid 400 ft. He did great handling -- also realized the delicateness of life--


my son's senior dinner was last night---lets just say it became real...while he was up receiving awards/scholarships for leadership and community service I tried, I really tried to hold the camera to video a snippet, but my crying made my hand move and well much of the video was of my water glass and pretty floral green carpeting in the hotel ballroom. I was crying with gratitude, pride, joy and also with sadness--graduation is Saturday--any tips on reducing swelling around eye area?

mythmom

Tea bags, moistened that is. They do wonders.

LIMOMOF2

runnersmom - All I can say is WOW!! I'm so glad your S is able to keep in touch with you. What an experience he is having!!

lindz - Awww. I would probably be the same way. Congrats to your S on his awards/scholarships. BTW, I'm glad he was ok after witnessing that accident. That's so scary.

lindz126

thanks myth and LI moms

we're off to Circuit City so he can buy something with some of his scholarship money--

yes was a scary incident--and all three of my kids were in the car--made me truly count my blessings about timing

acme

Lindz-- your son was clearly paying attention in drivers ed. And clearly also can handle a pressure situation. He will do well in life.

runnersomom--your s's trip is sounding more and more awesome.

My S is officially finished with school today-- exams, everything-- and I wish graduation was this weekend. I think it will be anticlimactic in 3 weeks. Kids will have started jobs, gone traveling, moved along. Kinda ridic but I think they have to wait for the spring sports seasons to wrap up.

cottonwood513

r-mom, great to hear from your world traveler, is he speaking Italian?

lindz126

thanks acme--yes he's got a good handle on this adult thing...he's one of those kids who even as a toddler was very careful, responsible...(classic first born) now my other two... :-D

runnersmom

Lindz...how terrifying for him. I'm so glad he and your other kids were uninjured. And I know what you mean about those tears..they just crop up at the most inopportune times, don't they! But these are wonderful tears as all the pictures of their lives play on a loop before your eyes at the most interesting times. I remember sitting at stop lights and just seeing snippets in my mind.

acme, LIMOM, 2Blue - thanks for the good thoughts re: the boy's travels. I am a real believer in letting them push the edges of their personal envelopes..I guess I just never thought they'd push so far! These college years are a most wonderful time in their lives; exploring, growing, and learning. My kids have always worked summers, so my H and I have been willing to "give" them each one summer where our expectations revolve more around broadening horizons, travel and experiential learning than a paying job.

Cottonwood - I agree, flying to Midway and taking the 55 is a good indicator of whether a kid is ready to handle urban living! As for Italian, does English with an Italian accent count! He's only been there 3 days, I'm hoping he picks some up.

and Bunsen - what great advice. I will pass it along to him. So far I think he's being fed Italian food by the team...he'll ease into Uzbek cuisine!

NorthMinnesota

What wonderful kids you all have!!! Isn't it amazing how quickly they grow up! And what wonderful opportunities you all have given to your kids! I raise my glass to you and wish you and your college bound kids only the best!

Well, it is official. D2 is not going to the prom. She seems ok with it but I have to admit it does bother me a bit. When I was scrapping this week a boys mom told me that the boys are intimidated by her...she said they see her as smart, cute,athletic and out of their league. sigh...intimidated?????? What the heck! She anchors on the school tv show...I told her she should have done a story on looking for a date...she didn't appreciate my humor!