Just returned from the epic road trip! DD’12’s graduation was beautiful (though a little warm and a little long). She was so happy. We got to meet her friends and take lots of photos. Emptying out the room and loading the van was an effort. (We dropped a few boxes off at UPS.) Best part was seeing all four kids together.
We took three and a half days to travel - day two was 994 miles, the most I have ever driven in a day and will not do again. We have a beautiful country. Random thoughts: Northern Ohio is beautiful, why didn’t anyone ever tell me? Lake Erie is gorgeous and Niagara Falls is spectacular, first time for me. Upstate New York in May is wonderful, got to see the birthplace of the Suffragette movement. Boston Common on Memorial Day weekend is solemn and classic. Fenway is magic. We saw Revolutionary War monuments and museums in New Jersey and Civil War historical sights in Maryland and Virginia. We visited museums in Washington, D.C. Lots of time with our east coast family. Exhausting, but so fun.
Sounds like a wonderful road trip, glido! I grew up in Northern Ohio and now am in Vermont … Two places that love their fall colors and maple syrup.
Son is home for a few weeks before he heads off out west. He does dishes on his own, takes showers every day, cuts my grass without asking, and asks my guests what can he get them to drink. He is really all grown up … 4 years of tuition definitely worth it.
I completely lost track of this thread! I don’t even know how I found it now. I got a little choked up seeing all the familiar names and how well it’s going for everyone! My son ended up changing majors so many times he’s taking an extra semester. Which actually ended up being a good thing, he got a really awesome internship this summer that will enable him to get a much better starting job than if he hadn’t done this one. It’s well paying and included putting him up in an extended stay hotel. He’ll have his bs in cs. He also learned he does NOT want to live north again!
Just got caught up on this thread. Congratulations to new graduates and good luck to their next venture.
D2’s graduation was hit with a big rain storm with potential of a thunder storm. Instead of graduating each school like they normally did, they just asked everyone to stand and said, “Now you have all graduated, leave the stadium.” We would have been very disappointed, except each department had their individual reception. D2’s program was very small (less than 15 people). They presented each graduate by talking about accomplishments and their thesis paper. D2 wrote a big thank-you to me in the presentation.
Wow - I haven’t checked in on this thread in a long while. Glad to see familiar names and to hear how great everyone is doing. DS12 graduated in May and the whole family was able to be there. Departmental honors were a nice surprise, because, of course, he never mentioned he was applying. DS12 will be heading off to graduate school at UW in September with a NSF grant. We couldn’t be more proud and happy for him. His GF is working in Mountain View and hopes to transfer to Seattle sooner, rather than later. Overall, he’s a grown up and handling his life his way and it is spectacular to see and be a part of it all! Best wishes to all of you and your college graduates or almost graduates!!
@Creekland - DD13 will be graduating next spring from URoc. She is currently in Berlin on a RISE scholarship, enjoying Europe and learning some complicated BME computer program that is frustrating her to no end. But, she seems happy. UR was a great choice for her and we’ve been very happy with the opportunities they have given her.
Whew, moved my D to her new apt complete with IKEA furniture. I am still getting over with the bag of screws they provided with her dresser. My new definition of nightmare is seeing one of those in my dream. Never again. She will have to buy preassembled furniture or get help from someone else.
@Iglooo I know exactly what you mean. As much as I loved helping 2009 D in Boston move into her first apartment, the IKEA furniture was 48 hours of shopping and assembly.
My 2012 son is taking a week to help his grandfather with some house projects. No IKEA for him for a while… This his his gap year ski bum year, and he’s painting houses and other labor to fund it. Productive kid!
My d is moving into her first apartment. I refused Ikea. I found online coupons for pier 1, plus signed up for an additional coupon and got her furniture for less than ikea fully assembled and delivered to her apartment.
Well for old time sake, I figured I would look up our old thread. Hi eyemamom, our kids both graduated from UR in 2016. I wore a down coat to graduation despite it being May in Rochester. My son has moved to Boulder Colorado to do an engineering internship we hope turns into a regular job. He drove out there with a friend with his car loaded much the same way it was when he left for college.
@Lakemom We were there for graduation freezing our behinds off too. URoc lets kids doing Take 5 do graduation (week) with their class even though they technically graduate the following year. I liked the speaker(s). They at least made shivering worth it somewhat, but I told my guy to make sure they get someone better on the weather committee next year!
My guy is heading to med school next year, so no worries for us about jobs. We’ll just rarely see him for oodles of years (sigh).
Congrats to your son. He will be fine doctor. Maybe he’ll do his residency at Strong. Yes the weather was downright frightful. The engineering graduation was in Eastman in the afternoon. I had never been into the auditorium, really lovely.
The keynote speaker was excellent I thought. She really said things the grads will remember.
Here is the 60 second quickey for anyone who want to hear.
Ha, I just thought of this thread for some strange reason. My son graduated in June, got married 8 days later, and he and his wife are now settled in their apartment 5 hours drive from us-yeah! So much better than being across the country. They have both started their jobs (she’s a structural engineer and he’s a data scientist), and life seems to be going well. I think they did shop Ikea for a few things. I actually had to drive over to their apartment with my youngest son to accept all their belongings (her job paid for the move) because they were out of town at the time (he worked at a math camp). That was fun to see the apt, and we’ll go this weekend to see it completely furnished and put together.
@Creekland, I’m sure it’s hard not to see your son very much, but what a calling he’s heeding! We need more good doctors, and your son sounds like one terrific young man. You must be bursting with pride!
@texaspg – My daughter graduated from Olin in May with a degree in mechanical engineering. She loved her Olin experience, although I wouldn’t say that she’s a “typical” Oliner.
She spent the summer doing a mathematical modeling internship with Boston Scientific. (She did her year-long senior capstone with them, too).
She has moved to NYC and is starting a PhD program in Applied Math (Atmospheric Science) at Columbia. Her first day is Tuesday. It’s a 5 year program and will include research in the summers, so she’s truly moved away from home in a way that feels permanent.
She also still works for Art of Problem Solving, TAing and grading both math and programming classes.
She actually shares an apartment with IJustDrive’s daughter.
