First Week

 The first week of what you probably ask.  This is the first week of our new routine and adventure.  We sent our oldest off to college on Sunday.  My husband and I took her, helped unload all of her belongings, and set up a few things for her before she decided she was ready to finish her room on her own because she wanted to know where everything is.  The logical part of me knew that was probably best but the sentimental part of me wished that I could have stayed to help or have gone back to see how it looks.  Although we have come a long way with technology and we can do video chat and do instant messages to each other.  

I thought ending my daughter's senior year during a pandemic was going to be the weirdest thing to go through but turns out sending her out into the world during one is scarier.  

Sending your kid to college during a pandemic means (for us) fewer visits to avoid carrying COVID back and forth between households.  It means not seeing her dorm room or other areas of the campus.  It means likely no parent weekend.  It means scheduled move-in times with smaller crowds.  That would seem like a benefit but it was odd.  Kind of a ghost town and just not what we imagined.  It means wearing a mask to move in.  It means not moving freely around the campus.  It meant once we left campus we could not come back.  It was weird.  

For her, it means wearing a mask whenever she is not in her room, and when she is in her room or another room with more than 1 person.  It means distanced dining.  It means hybrid, online, and very few in-person classes.  It means altered schedules, social distanced mixers and fun things being planned.  It means signing up for covid testing.  It means moving back home for 2 weeks if you are positive.  

But silver lining she is she is ON campus.  She has the opportunity to have a somewhat normal college experience.  She is making friendships and finding her way.