It might sound strange to some, but I’ve decided that when my youngest child goes to college, I’m going with him. Okay, that sounds very “helicopter parent,” but that’s totally not what’s going on here, I promise!
Let Me Explain Before You Judge My Decision
I’ve moved around a lot in my life. I’ve lived in 16 places from the time I was born to the present day. The house I’m living in now is kind of in the middle of nowhere, and I’ve been here the longest out of anywhere – a whopping 18 years this June.
Before moving here, I lived near The Strip in Las Vegas, Phoenix, the surrounding areas of Phoenix (Tempe, Mesa, Chandler and Scottsdale), Central New Jersey, North New Jersey, the Jersey Shore, and now in the Poconos in Pennsylvania.
It really wasn’t my first choice to live here, and oddly, I’ve been here the longest. But when I’m able to move in a year or two, I’m ready to pick up and leave this area behind. I never wanted to take my kids out of their childhood home or the school district they went to their entire lives, which is why I stayed put for so long after getting divorced.
But as my oldest son is getting ready to move to Florida this summer, my middle son is graduating high school in June, and my youngest will be a senior in high school next school year, so it’s time to start considering where I plan to move. But there’s that catch…I don’t really get to decide.
It’s Like A Roulette Wheel Of Cities: Where Will I Live Next?
My youngest wants to attend a four-year college for journalism (following in his mom’s footsteps), and he wants to play basketball so he’s very particular as to what schools he’s looking at. As a single mom, I’m not sure how I can afford a university, dorms and continuing to live my normal life, so the next best option is to cut out the dorms and follow my dream of moving out of Pennsylvania.
So, by now you’re probably wondering if I’m crazy, and that’s okay. I understand this sounds a little off the wall, or maybe even a little “free-spirited,” but I assure you, the desire to leave this area overtakes the fear of moving somewhere new that I don’t necessarily get to decide on.
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I suppose saying I have no say isn’t exactly correct. But in the grand scheme of this decision, we’re following my son’s dreams and not mine. The top schools my son is planning to apply to are all places I would be more than just happy to move to – University of Las Vegas, Arizona State University and New York University.
He did mention Penn State too, but I’m trying to forget that’s on the list, only because of the location. I believe Miami was another possibility he was looking into, but we haven’t done much research on that yet.
His number one choice has always been UNLV, so I’m quietly manifesting that outcome. It would be amazing to be able to move back to the place that I spent my teen years.
But with this decision to move comes a downfall – my middle son wants to stay in this area. This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to consider, leaving a kid, an adult kid, behind. How do parents live apart from their children as they get older? It’s a concept I literally never considered because they were just born yesterday, or so it feels. Now that the time is getting closer, the reality of the situation is hitting me hard.
As my son starts to apply to colleges that he’s interested in, and we begin planning our campus tours, it’s starting to really feel real, and a little scary.
If this is something you can relate to, or you have some advice for me, please drop me a DM on Instagram. I would love to hear from other parents who are nearing the college days with their kids, or considering moving to a new area without their adult kids.
