<p>For those parents who have survived the past year and are about to send their chicks off–how are you doing? How are your kids doing? We are taking our daughter down to Bloomington to start at IU in just a few more days. It’s been such an incredible, stressful, hectic, and wonderful year with many highs and a few lows–truly the roller coaster others have described. This is a bittersweet time–we are excited for her to start her new adventure but sad because our lives are changing and we are going to miss her. I want to thank all the CC’ers who have provided so much information and support over this past year. I feel so lucky to have stumbled on this forum!</p>
<p>I was just about to hit “POST” when I chanced another look to make sure I didn’t duplicate, and there was bluepearl’s post! We are leaving for CIM early tomorrow, haulling D and much of her paraphanalia- another great thing about CC’ers, a mom from Cleveland who has a son here at the U of R, has offered to take a car load of what we couldn’t fit when she drops her son off here in 10 days- how kind of her, and boy, am I grateful to her for her offer! Thank you all for all of the help, knowledge, calm words and smiles you have so willingly shared. I lurked around these boards for 2 years before really jumping in and it was the best move. I couldn’t have made it through this year with the sanity that I still posess had it not been for all of you. I’ve made some friends too and getting to meet some of you, in person, is going to be even nicer.
Wish me luck and the same to you- to borrow from “A Chorus Line”, the next few days are going to be rough, I am not looking forward to them at all. I know it’s time for my D to go, she’s gotten all she can from her teacher here and she leaves well prepared.It’s
just hard to know that, for her, “home” will never again be where I am, there’s a whole big world out there and she wants her voice to be heard!
Thanks again- we’ll be back in a few days and I’ll be back on here. Good night.</p>
<p>We are headed to Loyola New Orleans 1 week from today. It seems like a lifetime ago when I was frantically posting to this forum. A roller coaster ride it has been, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>Thanks to all.</p>
<p>We are headed to Oberlin Con. a week from today–looking forward to the Conservatory orientation evening meet-and-greet, and the orientation concert. Our son is very excited, and we’re very proud…but man: it’s going to be SO quiet around here…</p>
<p>Thanks again to all the CC/music major experts. I’ll be around to pay it forward in the jazz realm…</p>
<p>Pack cleaning wipes – disinfectant, dusting, etc. – and shelf paper. You’re going to want to give a good once over to all of the surfaces in the dorm room. Trust me! You also might want to lay adhesive shelf paper inside the drawers.</p>
<p>We are leaving on Friday for Rochester, renting a mini van one way and driving in 2 days. We are leaving an extra day in our travel plans for the unexpected. It seems like my S has twice as much “stuff” as his older brother did 6 years ago, bringing everything but the kitchen sink (oh, I see that in the pile of stuff too). Can’t find any long sleeved shirts here in Florida. Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us on our drive.</p>
<p>Mezzo, can you recommend a good place to eat near Eastman?</p>
<p>Linde, I’ve got the swiffer and many different forms of antibacterial cleaner. </p>
<p>Good luck to all and your kids on their new adventures and thanks for all the great advice.</p>
<p>We are leaving for Oberlin next Monday. My S is very excited about getting started. He is happy with his dorm assignment and roommate. In reflecting back on these past two years - not knowing where and how to begin the college/music search & audition process and stumbling accross this forum, I am so grateful for the wisdom, advice, encouragement and humor you so generously shared. Thank you all.</p>
<p>slovesviola: You and your son should take a good look at what he is taking with thoughts of paring down. The rooms at Eastman are very small. I was surprised how little room my son had when he lived there several years ago. We ended up bringing some stuff home and he is not a heavy packer! The beds are lofted with a desk and a 3 drawer dresser underneath. At the end of the bed is a wardrobe maybe 30 inches wide. There are some shelves in the wardrobe. At the end of the wardrobe will be another couple of feet. That is it for storage room. My son and his roommate did find room for a minifridge but I took the box fan home as there would be no place to store it over the winter. So just make sure the stuff he is taking is not superfluous. </p>
<p>As far as places to eat, go down Gibbs Street past the Java Zone to East Ave. Turn left on East Ave and there are a number of decent places within a couple of blocks including an Italian place and Dim Sum place.</p>
<p>The thing I missed most when son left for college was the sound of his cello. He started college in 2002 and I still miss it.</p>
<p>slovesviola- shennie is right about those rooms at ESM,they are small, so you might want to hold off on at least the cold weather gear for now. The weather has been in the 90s with high humidity, and it will be warm enough for quite a while. The school runs a shuttle bus to Marketplace Mall, so he’ll be able to go shopping there when he needs to(If you want any info on the stores, drop me an e-mail, please). Since you’re from FL, he might feel chillier than the “natives”, so a hoodie would come in handy, but he can buy one in the school bookstore.
Eating places- if you want to stay close to the school, stop at Java Joe’s. They have a full menu and are right on the other side of Kilbourne Hall- as you face the place, you order food in the right-hand side of the shop. If dim-sum is more your style,go down Gibbs, past Java Joe’s, cross East Ave and you’ll see it, Golden Pond Dim Sum. For a special dinner, and a lovely place to stay, the Inn on Broadway is the closest place to ESM:
[Inn</a> On Broadway (Rochester, NY) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor](<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g48503-d250872-Reviews-Inn_On_Broadway-Rochester_Finger_Lakes_New_York.html]Inn”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g48503-d250872-Reviews-Inn_On_Broadway-Rochester_Finger_Lakes_New_York.html)
They are really nice and you can have a very special dinner there. They are also within walking distance- down Gibbs, cross East Ave, turn left and then right on Broadway, just by the Episcopal Church. There are other coffee and snack places on East Ave, but they are a hike, and in the heat, distance can be a factor. Oh, I forgot, just across Gibbs St from the Eastman Theatre (and I will continue to call it that, despite the fact that it’s new name is Kodak Hall!) is Max of Eastman Place:
[Max</a> of Eastman Place - East End - Rochester | Urbanspoon](<a href=“http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/55/601024/restaurant/East-End/Max-of-Eastman-Place-Rochester]Max”>http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/55/601024/restaurant/East-End/Max-of-Eastman-Place-Rochester)
It is a wonderful place to dine, and they are open for lunch as well as dinner. It’s upscale (for Rochester!) but they have a nice lunch menu now. Give them a try.
One more caveat: Parking to unload in front of the dorm area at ESM is tight, to say the least.Get there as early as you can, or later, if your S doesn’t mind having his room mate take the “best parts” of the room.</p>
<p>We are bringing S to Oberlin on Monday pm/ Tues am and looking forward to meeting the rest of you Obiecon parents at the Tues afternoon reception. </p>
<p>He’s in South in a temp triple made from a lounge which actually sounds like it won’t be too bad. He likes South. </p>
<p>He wants to bring his compact electric keyboard and a small amp since he hopes to make some $$ gigging if possible…does that seem possible? </p>
<p>Look for us next week - he’s excited to be headed to Oberlin</p>
<p>And just as I thought things were going smoothly, my D broke out in a terrible case of hives, for no reason that we have been able to come up with. We’ve been to the doctor, lab (where she nearly fainted, and I had to take her out in a wheelchair) and pharmacy today so hopefully she will be in good shape by Saturday when we are supposed to leave. She’s been so miserable she hasn’t been able to practice or pack or visit her friends!</p>
<p>I’ll be picking up the rental minivan from Enterprise on Saturday afternoon. My D will cantor 9AM Mass on Sunday morning, we’ll drop the dog at the kennel, and then we’re off to Rochester.</p>
<p>She has her new computer (a pink Sony) and we’re almost done getting it set up the way she wants it.</p>
<p>We have everything but the humidifier. We figure that won’t be a big issue until they start running the heat in the building. Given that it’s Rochester that COULD be late September, but we figure we can safely wait to bring it up on Family Weekend in early October.</p>
<p>So how do I feel? I’m gonna miss her for sure, but we’ll be texting a lot and, once she’s at school, she’ll friend me on Facebook (but not until). Aside from missing her, I’ve sort of functioned as her manager as her journey developed and now I have to let that go for the most part. That won’t be easy.</p>
<p>On the other hand, her mother and I are just so damned proud of her and honored to be able to give her this opportunity. It’ll be different, but it’s the next phase and it’s the way things are supposed to be.</p>
<p>Thanks MM and shennie for the advice and recommendations! It will be the first time that my son will be living in the cold weather so it will be interesting to see how he adapts. Kids here in Florida think that a hoodie and jeans are cold weather gear and don’t give up their flip flops for anything. Do boys actually wear boots or is it totally not “cool”? When I suggested Uggs he just rolled his eyes. (I wear them here in the winter when it goes below 70 degrees).</p>
<p>Don, will look out for you at Orientation. Our move in time is at 8AM. We should wear little CC stickers (JK we seem to find each other even without ID).
I know how you feel about them going off. Very mixed feelings, will miss him terribly and will totally have to to fill that “manager” time with something else. At the same time I am still pinching myself that he is actually going off to his dream school, so proud. I will be the one sobbing at good-bye time.</p>
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<p>Depends on the boy. Honestly, most New England males would probably be happy with a good pair of traditional hiking boots for the really nasty weather. The hard core might wear a maine duck hunters, put they are a PITA to lace. A lot will depend on the prevailing style on campus. Both mine (s&d) used their hikers extensively, and were in moderate to heavy snow locations. D was a flip flop type of kid till the snow hit. Above 25 degrees she was typically flip flops and maybe toe socks unless there was snow on the ground.</p>
<p>A lot depends on the campus layout, distance and time between classes and whether it’s more efficient to stay to pathways and sidewalks versus trekking across a snow covered grass area. Back in the day, my wife wished she had snow shoes or cross country skis given the distances she had to travel on certain days between classes at UCONN.</p>
<p>slovesviola: L.L. Bean. Remember the name! The Bean boots with the zippers are good for snow and fairly easy to put on and remove.</p>
<p>Leaving for Bloomington Tuesday with the move dorms in Wednesday. Praying to get everything in a small SUV but seems reading this thread that may be optomistic for a music major. Son is looking forward to the challenge but found out at a summer camp that the trombone group this year is very large as the yield from last years offers was very high. Hopefully, that does not translate into a lack of playing opportunities but will have to wait and see. Have a fun trip everyone and looking forward to the comments from the road.</p>
<p>Agree with violadad. </p>
<p>We moved here to Chicago from FL and my son will wear flip flops until it’s icy out, or heavy snow is on the ground. Otherwise, he only wears something like leather or suede Pumas, Converse. The kids in his HS were not boot wearers. But Rochester may be different.</p>
<p>Both my boys (upstate NY and Ohio) have Timberland boots, which are very common on campus. My jr. son (NY) basically goes from flip flops to Timberlands and back throughout the year! Comfortable, waterproof and WARM.</p>
<p>To get from the dorm at Eastman to the music building, one only has to cross the street. My son said they were very good about shoveling and keeping the area free of snow and they get a lot of it there. If you son thinks he will want to do a lot of walking or other outdoor activities, a pair of hiking type boots will be just fine. I think mine wore his tennis shoes most of the time although he did have a pair of high top leather tennis shoe type things that he wore when it was really snowy.</p>
<p>DS and I are heading to Oberlin next Monday in a marathon drive from NH. DS likes his roommate and is in a divided double on the quiet floor of the East Hall. So all that seems good. It has been a whirlwind of a summer. DS headed out for Italy on the day he graduated to be in the Oberlin in Italy program for four weeks (late by a day or two). He came home after an unintended layover in Munich, again to start his local summer theater musical a day or two late. The last show for the musical is Saturday; so we have Sunday to get things together and head out first thing (early!) on Monday. At least we will be able to share the driving. </p>
<p>DS is really excited. It was good to get to know some Oberlin students and faculty while he was in Italy. I hope I survive the next week!</p>