now that thanksgiving is over and many students headed home for the first time since starting college…has anyone dropped off or been dropped off for the first freshman trip back to college after the first visit home since starting college?
how did it go being home? any tears getting dropped off?
I can’t speak to Thanksgiving specifically. D1 came home only once for Thanksgiving, because the distance and time difference turned out to make it a not very restful break. D2’s school has a trimester system and she didn’t have to go back until January. But the end of vacations and holidays in general left me with at least a few tears after the drop-off or the car pulling out of the driveway.
And I felt teary this weekend; both Ds are out of college and neither had time to come home.
No tears on my DD’s part… She was actually excited to get back and see her friends. But, she doesn’t show much emotion. (Mom and Dad had a few tears after drop off.) She’ll be home again in 12 days for a month. She’s got a lot ahead of her… a performance, studying, finals, packing, home again.
No tears for either of my kids. They always enjoy their long weekend home (sleeping late, family, good food, seeing HS friends, mom’s laundry service etc.) but they are happy to get back to school as well. Remember, in a few short weeks they will be home for interim break.
I’m trying to tell myself that, this time, it’s like D is going to be at camp; she’ll be back in 2 weeks. I’m still also trying hard not to think about the fact that life is different with D now; as @rosered55 experienced, there will be times that D will not be home, and “home” is different for her now. (So sorry, rosered; my heart lurched for you.) I miss her so much! Thank God for phones, and thank God she’s eager to keep in contact so far. No tears from either of us today, though.
DS2 did not come home for his 1st Thanksgiving. He was home for a Fall Break for a wk in October and will be home for 6 wks starting mid-December. I did get a little teary seeing 9 out of 10 grandkids at Thanksgiving dinner.
DS1 came home and I dropped him off at the airport at 6am Saturday. He is in his 3rd yr and has done this trip at least 10 times. When I got home, I had a message that he forgot his wallet. So I did 2 round trips to the airport before 7am. I didn’t cry, but …
First sendoff to college across the country: check
Sendoff after first year Christmas [too far to come home for Thanksgiving]: check
Every trip after that: check
Okay … I’m a softie
mom24boys if I made a 2nd trip to the airport I would cry! just not for the reason I would cry the first time!
Daughter went to grandmother’s for Thanksgiving weekend, first one ever, so it was exciting to hear about how it went and no drop off tears. Now selfishly waiting for her December arrival after having last seen her (except for Skype) on August 20something. My husband and I can hardly wait! Don’t want to think about he drop off in January yet!
Long hug at the airport this morning but no tears. DS seemed okay but he only likes to show when he is happy, not sad.
Me, I am sad. He’ll be back in about 2-1/2 weeks and then we have him home for a good 3-1/2 weeks. But right now, just missing him.
D took the campus shuttle to the airport on Tuesday and got off at the wrong stop. Thankfully her flight was delayed or she may have missed it. She was happy to come home but just as excited to return. Dropped her at the airport and she took an uber back to campus. She will be home in 11 days.
this year was son’s 1 year anniversary of almost dying while home for Thanksgiving last yr due to alcohol poisoning… son is pretty solid now. daughter’s 1st year so it’s been emotional for her, but mostly cuz she is in love w a hometown boy.
^^^
I am glad to hear your son is doing better now!
No tears, but did notice the hug goodbye was a little bit tighter and a little bit longer. Three weeks will go fast as I realize that is basically all the time I have to get ready for Christmas!
I was at the airport and it seemed fairly empty. I was just dropping somebody off but i was dreading the gridlock…it was not to bad.
My D had been home a few other times this semester and usually the hour or so after the goodbye is wrenching for me. But on Sunday at the Amtrak station, I watched her disappear into the crowd heading for the train and felt OK. It may be, as others have said, she will be back home in two weeks. For her part, she didn’t really want to head back for finals.
@zobroward - Thanks for posting this thread. Our moment was a while, but this brings back some of those memories. It was moving to me that he was - as @phoenixmomof2 says - anxious to get back to his friends. Old Mom and Pop knew that his life was ahead of him! Seeing him off at the airport felt so different than when we drove him to drop him off for his first day at college. Like he had grown up a little bit (a lot?) just in those first few months away.
My daughter didn’t want to go back , but she left happy ( got back with hs bf ) I got a tighter hug when she loaded her things back into the car for the drive back with dad.
She was really happy to be able to see all of her friends from home. In less than 3 weeks, she will be home again.
She is only 2.5 hours away from home so she has been home a few times so maybe that made a difference too.
I am looking forward to having her home again, even if her being home made her revert to her messy habits 
Freshman year there was sadness at college drop off, sadness when we were leaving after parents weekend, joy when he arrived home for T-Giving and a tiny bit of sadness post T-Giving. I hate to admit this, but we were like “It is time for him to return to college” and I think S1 felt a bit of the same…but in a good way.