<p>Our son is graduating MIT in just a few weeks, and he will begin work shortly after. He intends on heading back to grad school next year. We are so excited and would like to give him something special/memorable. Do you have any ideas? I was thinking about a trip but I am not sure that would work for him right now.</p>
<p>A trip would be awesome! </p>
<p>How much time would he have between graduation and starting his job? Can he squeeze in a trip? Or, can he squeeze in a trip at the end of his job, but before grad school starts?</p>
<p>Son is also graduating college in several weeks so I figured I would try and pick up some things he will eventually need. Since we live in the furniture capitol I spent some time locating a bedroom set he can take with him.</p>
<p>I found on craig’s list a lovely bed/headboard/footboard/dresser/mirror/chest/nightstand made of a solid wood (even the drawer bottoms!), dovetailed, hand-stained made in the low-country. Has very nice details and in perfect condition, all for $175. Now he has his own set, wherever he ends up!</p>
<p>His sis ordered him a satchel/briefcase (looks like an Indiana Jones Satchel) from his university with his school seal embossed on it and his initials. She also found a very old copy of the odyssey, one of his favorite books. (she always has great ideas)</p>
<p>Other sis found a watch in his school colors (not from the school store, waaaaaaaaaaaay too pricey for us) but it is a runners watch (he is) and is a water watch as well. He can bang it up a bit and it should be fine for a while.</p>
<p>His older bro picked him up cuff links (he was using paper clips) from disneyworld (ds grad LOVES disney)- cool mickey one’s-says it’s for his “mickey mouse” of a bro!!</p>
<p>So that is where we are so far.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>He only has about 3 weeks. I am sure he would love to travel with his brothers but they don’t graduate until next year. I don’t think he has any friends that have the money to travel right now. Most of his graduating friends are busy as he is, with exams and getting ready to start work. I would love to provide him with a wonderful adventure because he has provided us with the greatest adventure just being his parents. I still can’t believe four years have passed so quickly and the boy we sent off to college is now graduating and heading out into the world as a young man.</p>
<p>Katwkittens—Great idea for the graduate who will be living in their own place. I don’t want to start getting him furniture or home related things because I will probably have it in my basement during grad school—LOL.</p>
<p>If he doesn’t have time to travel far, what about a trip to your closest city? Could he spend a long weekend (or more) being a tourist close to home? Get him a hotel, rental car or public transit pass, a guidebook to the city, a tickets to a show or sport event…</p>
<p>Benefits: A short-duration trip is do-able. Not a lot of travel expense to get there and back. No jet-lag. Don’t have to worry about a passport, exchanging money, speaking the language. More likely that he can find a friend to go with him.</p>
<p>axw— that sounds like a wonderful idea!</p>
<p>Thankyou for a great suggestion.</p>
<p>Everyone loves cash.</p>
<p>well, who doesn’t like money…sure…always a great idea.</p>
<p>the “local” vacation sounds like a great idea. Throw in some movie tickets, a restaurant gift card, or the like…and yes, maybe he has a female or even a male pal he’d like to go with to kick back and relax just a little?</p>
<p>good luck to him !</p>
<p>I agree cash is enjoyed by all. He also loves presents that involve experiences. I am thinking NYC with Broadway tickets, great restuarants, maybe a high tea, and some great night life suggestions. I would have loved to send him to Europe but it looks like that might be hard to do with his employment situation.</p>
<p>first off, congrats to your son!!!</p>
<p>Second, I really like Kat’s suggestions, and envy her location near the furniture stores. </p>
<p>I wanted to get my son something he’d have for awhile, like a watch, but he wasn’t ready. It turned out that there were MANY expenses involved with the first job–suits, work clothes, a dressier winter coat, apt. furniture, moving, etc. After he was working for a year, he wanted a messenger bag and watch. For us, the I.O.U.s worked best.</p>
<p>momma-three, have you asked him what he’d like to have?</p>
<p>He is such as easy going person and seems to love anything we do or get for him. He always talks about the value of the experience over the stuff, which is why I like the idea of travel for him.</p>
<p>I just want to do something that he would really love. He is such a great son who has never been anything short of a complete joy. We have been so fortunate to have been blessed with being his parents.</p>
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<p>And he is fortunate to have you as parents! </p>
<p>New York is a great choice! (Do you live near there?) There’s so much to see and do.</p>
<p>If he already has a passport…Montreal might be nice…if you’re US. It feels like a “different” place. And it’s very nice in the late spring/summer.</p>
<p>oooh Montreal! Great idea! Sounds like the OP and/or her son are on the east coast, which makes getting to Montreal a breeze. Amtrak goes right into the heart of things.</p>
<p>If you’ve not already, this might be a good time to start making gifts in his name. Perhaps to a club or scholarship at MIT that was important to him. It will be yet one more way that he still feels tied to his college as he sets out into the world.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all of you!</p>
<p>Thankyou all for the good wishes, kind words and wonderful suggestions. I love so many of the ideas and would love to hear more if anybody else has some ideas.</p>