<p>All of the sudden I am feeling a bit nauseated and nervous and, just, I don’t know, not myself. I was really doing okay until now… I cannot believe that my D will be over 1350 miles from home come Monday. I am so excited for her and I just love everything about Rice that I have heard and read about so far (can’t wait to see everything for myself Sunday) but December is SO far away. I know that O-week will keep her occupied and too busy to get “home-sick” but what about me, LOL! Maybe other D and I should plan our own little O-week. Oh, well, not sure why I posted this… just can’t seem to keep my mind off of the weekend. Wishing all of you new Owls a fabulous year at Rice and all of you parents some… valium.</p>
<p>I can’t relate to this YET, but I can empathize. My oldest is only a junior. But I live about 10 minutes from Rice and it’s such a fabulous school, in a really nice area of town. Let me know if you’d like some restaurant recommendations while you’re visiting. There’s a lot of great restaurants close to Rice.</p>
<p>blackeyedsusan: thanks so much… I would really appreciate the names of some restarurants… we will be taking D out to her farewell dinner on Saturday night… would really like a fun, kinda happy, place with good food at a reasonable price. Any ideas?</p>
<p>My first suggestion for a fun, happy, reasonably priced restaurant is Chuy’s. It’s a Mexican restaurant with great food, festive (non-hokey), quirky atmosphere (think black velvet Elvis-type paintings). My teenagers LOVE this place. It’s on Westheimer near Kirby – a little bit farther from Rice, but not too far. <a href=“http://www.chuys.com%5B/url%5D”>www.chuys.com</a></p>
<p>Closer by is Benjy’s – good food, kind of upscale, Asian-influenced, minimalist decor. <a href=“http://www.benjys.com%5B/url%5D”>www.benjys.com</a> Also closer by is Prego – Italian food, kind of quiet. (Both are in Rice Village area, an upscale shopping area adjacent to the university.)</p>
<p>Another suggestion is Raven Grill on Bissonnet – American style food.</p>
<p>If there’s any type of cuisine your D prefers, let me know and I can make suggestions. There are TONS of restaurants in Houston.</p>
<p>A great online resource to check out restaurants is at <a href=“http://houston.citysearch.com%5B/url%5D”>http://houston.citysearch.com</a></p>
<p>Thanks so much for the info. D is pretty open on her food, LOL! She will really try anything… now youngest D - that is another story. I also wanted to ask another question that has been on my mind for awhile but with everything else going on I haven’t had a chance: How far are beaches from Rice? Are there “beaches” on the Gulf? What are they like? I feel really stupid asking this but I just checked the upcoming weather for Houston this weekend and I, again, noticed on the map how close the Gulf appears. Not very good with geography, LOL! Would love any info you can give about the Gulf.</p>
<p>Well, the closest beach is on Galveston Island (about 1 hr away). It’s not particularly pretty – kind of brownish sand and greenish water. The prettiest beach (like a Florida beach) is much farther down the Gulf close to Mexico – at South Padre Island. Although it’s about a 6+ hour drive! (Texas is BIG!) Even though Galveston beaches aren’t pretty, the city of Galveston is kind of cool and still worth going to. Also, it’s nice being that close to a beach, even if it isn’t a white sand/clear blue water kind of beach.</p>
<p>I thought that I had read somewhere before that the beach close to the school was “ugly”. But, I, like you, would be happy to have ANY beach closeby. Will definitely tell D to check out Galveston anyway. Is your Junior looking to go to Rice? Or does he/she want to go further away to school? D really loved the Residential College System at Rice… not a sorority type girl at all, LOL! She got into Sid Rich and seems happy with that result. After going to Owl Weekend her mind was made up… she didn’t even want to visit two of the other schools that she was accepted at that were on the top of her list. She called home and said " It’s so weird mom, EVERYONE is smart here!". When we picked her up at the airport… she said she hated to think about going back to the high school… she was ready to start at Rice right then!! Now, months later I am breathing deep and hoping with my whole heart that she has the experience of a lifetime (and that I live through it).</p>
<p>lsandin: You might be interested in this link to see what Galveston looks like. <a href=“http://www.galveston.com/webcams/[/url]”>http://www.galveston.com/webcams/</a> Some nice quiet beaches are found on 9 Mile Road, which has several “pocket parks” with bathroom facilities, and which charge a small entrance fee (like $5 per car). Although college kids might not be into quiet beaches.
The Strand is also fun – lots of restaurants and funky shops.</p>
<p>My S might be interested in Rice, but it’s VERY hard to get in from Texas. He likes the residential college set-up b/c he’s not into the Greek scene. And everyone we’ve met from Rice has been really bright and really nice. It IS a little too close to home to him, but so far it has everything he’s looking for in a school. (He also likes Brown and Tufts.)</p>
<p>Best wishes and much success for your D! At least you have the college search over and done with!</p>
<p>more advice to new college Moms…I had been well advised about the separation anxiety I’d feel when my daughter headed off to fun o-week activities and I took that lonely walk back to the motel on Main Street (I’m also over 1000 miles away from Houston). What smacked me up side the head without warning was HOW OLD I suddenly felt…it was a very rude intrusion into my self pity last year!</p>
<p>Now at least you won’t be blindsided by this additional joy.</p>
<p>D is a junior at Rice. We moved her into her first apartment last weekend. You are going to LOVE Rice and your D will love Houston. During my D’s O week (2 years ago) they actually did go to the beach and it wasn’t Galveston. It wasn’t very nice. We are Texans, and I will confirm that the nicest beaches are pretty far- Port Aransas isn’t too bad, but South Padre is better.<br>
A must thing to do is breakfast at Buffalo Grille on Bissonnet (I think). It is awesome- long lines but they move fast.<br>
Also, ice cream at Amy’s- not far from campus.<br>
If you have any questions, send me a PM and I can put your D in touch with my D. She is in Hanszen (although off campus now). Her boyfriend is in Brown (off-campus this year, also).</p>
<p>My son will be a Sophomore at Rice and is in WRC. We live in New England, so I can definately feel your pain about being so far away. Last year after we had lunch with him in the Commons on Sunday, they told us to give our kids a hug goodbye…and they were gone! I didn’t have a chance to get all teary-eyed then, but certainly made up for it on the plane ride home. I think I cried for 4 hours back to Boston. Alas, he is very happy at Rice and cannot wait to get back next week. In the meantime, I’ve already made reservations for Families Weekend in September. That should get me through until Christmas.</p>
<p>I’ll gladly share my valium with new moms!</p>
<p>Great advice on Chuy’s, blackeyedsusan. My family and I went there and it was awesome. It was really reasonably priced, I think the most expensive thing on the menu was 8.99 for dinner. You get A LOT of food and every little thing is good. The small things like the complimentary salsa and a little guacamole on the side of your plate are really really tasty, I could not believe what a find that place is. Only wish it were a little closer to Rice :)</p>
<p>Glad you liked the Chuy’s suggestion. Next time you go, ask for some of their jalapeno dip with the chips (it’s kind of like a spicy ranch dressing - yum) – it’s not on the menu. Also, if you’re interested in a breakfast recommendation in addition to Buffalo Grille (which is indeed good), Goode Company Hamburgers & Taqueria serves an awesome Mexican breakfast on the weekends. I know, the place doesn’t sound like a breakfast place, but trust me. It’s on Kirby between Bissonnet and Westpark on the west side of the street. (Goode Company also has a great barbeque restaurant on the east side of Kirby – also good, but not for breakfast!)</p>
<p>Enjoy Houston!</p>
<p>PeaRiceParent;
I’m the Dad of a future (2007) applicant to Rice and your post brought tears to my eyes!
I’m from New England also and my brother lives in Houston and brought my S an D to CA and TX for the college tour!
My D wants to stay close to home, maybe Williams, Dartmouth, or even closer Stonehill or Wheaton.
My S wants to go to CA, or TX. Stanford, UC Berkelee, or UT or Rice.</p>
<p>The farther from the father the better it is for him. (Is this grammar correct?)</p>
<p>Where you from? We’re from Bridgewater, MA and are Pats season ticket holders since 1970 in Foxborough.</p>
<p>Rskibum</p>
<p>Just returned from driving 835 mi. with s. (now a soph) to his duplex in the museum district. Intersting coupla days in Houston-- will post more when I am awake. Hint to all you parents of prospective off-campus housing. Be SURE whoever is setting up the arrangements with the utility co. has the plans CLEAR. They thought the power was scheduled to be on last Fri. Now they are looking at Weds. Boy was it ever HOT trying to assemble all that IKEA furniture!</p>
<p>rskibum,
First off, I’m so jealous about your Pats tickets. Anytime you can’t make it, let me know 
I’d be glad to take them off your hands. We live in the seacoast area of NH. My son was a day student at Exeter. Not completely sure why he chose Rice, but getting far away might have had something to do with it. He informed me the other day that next summer he might stay in Houston…we’ll see. It’s been more difficult for me with him being so far away. I will say that his Rice experience has been positive. Your son should definately consider it. </p>
<p>Good luck with the entire college search process. It’s one that I’m certainly glad is over.</p>
<p>Isandin- how did the move in go?</p>
<p>lsandin:</p>
<p>I can emathize too…we will be sending S 1400 miles way up in ice factory - north. How did the move go?</p>
<p>Isandin: I hope move-in went as well for you as it did for us! I was very impressed with the organization and the welcoming enthusiasm of the Rice o-week advisors and the understanding everyone expressed about how difficult it was to leave your child. D is very busy and happy so far, which makes it all easier. I certainly agree with ricemomtoo about the process making one feel old, though. D had only visited Houston once and had never been on the Rice campus, so we were very happy that things went so smoothly. When I return to England next month I suppose I will really feel the separation, but knowing she’s happy helps tremendously. Does anyone else want to share about their move-in experience?</p>
<p>JYM626, just moved DD into her own efficiency this last weekend - and truly emphasize with the putting IKEA furniture together in the heat!!! We went to IKEA twice - because I stepped on the mirror and broke it while glumphing around trying to install various things - and the heat pump/AC barely cooled the place down to reasonable temperatures. Luckily her place is All-bills-paid and a 9-month lease, so she didn’t have to deal with utility issues. She was happy to get back to Rice a week early. I was worried that she would feel all isolated and alone w/o internet access and without Rice kids around… not to worry! Was invited to start work at a great job on Rice campus during O-week, and found lots of Rice people around. Boy, I exhausted when I got home Sunday night, and had no time to feel sad. Freshman parents: it gets easier the following year!</p>