High School class of 2011

[bethbuchall]

Oh my goodness...

DS22 is leaving for Chicago today. He will be working at a non-profit through Americorps. He has most of his worldly possessions packed into a rental truck. He and his college roommate are going to take 3 days to drive from DFW to Chicago to move my DS22 into his new 450 SF studio apartment, then his friend will fly to San Antonio next week where he is going to grad school.

I am nervous and scared and excited. DS22 just called me and was having a momentary breakdown in the laundry room. I told him everything would be fine and he would do great. He sucked it up and is grabbing the final things to head out of town.

Someone needs to tell me that I told him the truth and he will be fine.

He will come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we will visit over spring break and he will go with us on vacation next summer (TBD). His placement is only for 12 months, so he will get a job next fall or go to grad school. He wanted a year "off" / adventure and this is it.

It is just overwhelming at the moment and I feel like I am pushing him out of the nest. All good things, but it is breaking my heart.

On the other hand, by the time I was 22 I was married, had a baby, had graduated from college and been living on my (our) own for 3 years. I guess there is a big difference between going alone and going with someone you know has your back. KWIM?

He is going to text me when he gets to Little Rock...it is going to be a long afternoon.

You told him the truth. Everything is going to be fine! He's going to have adventure and plenty of learning opportunities. It is difficult to watch them head out totally alone, though. My daughter's boyfriend is currently working in a National Park through Americorps. There is good and there is bad, but it's a great experience overall, and he is learning valuable social and life skills along with the job skills. My daughter is back at home for the time being looking for a job while working her "summer" job. She's getting discouraged, but I know that something will eventually open up if she just keeps looking. It's not easy to find anything even though it seems like the huge push is for STEM. Most openings she has found want 5-10+ of experience and have hundreds of applicants.

 

[HannaBelle]

You told him the truth. Everything is going to be fine! He's going to have adventure and plenty of learning opportunities. It is difficult to watch them head out totally alone, though. My daughter's boyfriend is currently working in a National Park through Americorps. There is good and there is bad, but it's a great experience overall, and he is learning valuable social and life skills along with the job skills. My daughter is back at home for the time being looking for a job while working her "summer" job. She's getting discouraged, but I know that something will eventually open up if she just keeps looking. It's not easy to find anything even though it seems like the huge push is for STEM. Most openings she has found want 5-10+ of experience and have hundreds of applicants.

Americorps is a great way to get experience and some OJT. Everything you said is true, this will be a great experience. TY!

He is using this year to decide what he wants to focus on in grad school. More social work or more counseling...it will be a good year. I just hope it is not a cold, sad, lonely year. Well, it will be cold...let's just hope he is not sad and lonely!

 

[geffric]

Hannabelle - my ds is also gonna live in downtown chicago, well actually Lincon park area.. i keep thinking he will be fine..of course he is on his around the world adventure ..will be home mid august then leave again..

 

[Disneycrazymom]

It is so good to see all the updates! The 4 years has flown by for us. DS has one more semester and will graduate in December. He got married in May to a sweet girl from high school. They are living on loans and his internship money for the last semester and looking forward to him having a "big boy" job by Christmas. Congratulations to all the spring graduates. I hope all their next adventures are good ones!