<p>My daughter has an extremely good chance of being offered an internship in New Mexico. We live in Pennsylvania and she would like to drive. Her 2000 Saturn is in great shape~185,000 miles~35 MPG~ burns a little oil, but she is great about watching it. I plan on having her car checked out with our mechanics to have an additional peace of mind. Why am I so worried? I am so very excited for her~this could lead to wonderful opportunities~I just am worried about her driving. Has anyone else been in a similar situation?</p>
<p>My husband drove with my son to his summer internship destination. They then did whatever needed to be done to furnish the apt sparingly.( My son later found other items, like kitchen table and chairs at a garage sale.) Husband flew home. </p>
<p>That is exactly what I plan on doing~not being overly protective~she is an only child, thank you God for Skype!</p>
<p>My D spent all of last summer driving around the eastern half of the US for her summer job. She drove her car and two other coworkers from Iowa (where we live, the other two met her here) to Illinois, then Pennsylvania, then Virginia, then NC, then back to Virginia, back to PA, then to WV and Maryland, then to Illinois, and finished in Kansas. She arranged for her two cohorts to get home, one via the KC airport and another was picked up by mom or something, then drove her self home at the end of the summer. She was barely 20 (she still is 20). </p>
<p>All of that to say, life is a grand adventure. If we don’t partake when we are young, then when will we?</p>
<p>When you have the car checked out, mention high altitude. Albuquerque is a mile high, Santa Fe 7000’. Many parts are lower but still different from PA.<br>
Will anyone else be going along? A relief driver makes it safer.</p>
<p>I would drive out with her and drive back with her. Buy a round trip ticket. I don’t think I could drive 2000 miles by myself.</p>
<p>What oldfort suggested is exactly what I will be doing with my DD when she travels to her internship this summer. </p>
<p>My son’s car has been back and forth from CA to Boston several times. So far, he has always had it shipped. I wouldn’t be so happy with him driving that distance alone, and the timing has never been right to make it into a sightseeing trip. </p>
<p>My client is moving to Colorado, and her mother will drive with her, then fly home. The mom doesn’t have a job, so they can take their time and have some fun.</p>
<p>DH and I always did this the way Oldfort suggested when getting D1 to and from North Carolina from Texas. One would fly there and drive back with her, and the other would do the return drive and fly home.</p>
<p>I did this with my son, and was very happy for the bonding time. You might be of help after arrival, and will hopefully be helpful for you to have more than a mental picture of her new home. </p>
<p>I truly appreciate all of your suggestions. We are going to take several days to drive out, help her set up, and then fly back. Now to convenience dad to take the time to fly out and drive back. I am a teacher and this is not the best time to leave my class. However, my child comes first!</p>