So Far Away

Ok.  Empty nest is one thing BUT moving nine hours away from home is quite another.  Hubby and I, with Tucker in tow, headed to the upstate to help daughter C pack for her move NINE hours away from us.  She had been only three hours away and staying with my aunt which translates to 'while she was no longer living at home, she was still somewhat close and living with a family member.'  This was a very acceptable arrangement to me.  She came home from time to time and we went up there and life was good with it that way.  Of course, she was not thrilled with her job--it had nothing to do with her degree in interior design and she wasn't really making enough money, even with living rent free (that's retail for you.).  Then she met a boy.  And his friends.  And they all live in DC.  Now, I will say that this daughter of ours has always wanted to at least try living in a big city at some point- San Francisco, Chicago, NYC, DC- so, boy or no boy, she had been looking for jobs in these cities anyway.  And DC IS the closest to us of the cities she was considering.  Anyway, a friend told her about a job opportunity and BAM! She got it and BAM! She had a place to live.  Things just seemed to fall into place--job, affordable apartment with nice roommate, yada, yada, yada...

Yes, I am happy for her.  How exciting to be young and not only getting but taking advantage of the opportunity to live one of your dreams.  She won't be alone up there what with her new friends, the boy, and the friends she's known for years who live up there as well.  But, she won't be close to us and I don't like that.  She's the first one of our daughters to move far away.  Married daughter M is only 288 miles and ONE state away.  This one is going to be 534 miles and THREE states away.  This is brand new territory for us and we have yet to adjust.  For two weeks I've been telling her the same things: "Don't be stupid; if something looks suspicious, assume it is and go the other way; don't go anywhere by yourself; remember you are no longer in a small, southern town," and so on.  Now, I realize that there is crime here in the south but it just seems more prevalent up north--most likely it's just because the cities are much bigger.  Nevertheless, worry comes with being a parent, especially with being a mother, but the intensity certainly does rise to greater heights when one of your little chicks goes a long way from home.  This will be a difficult learning experience but I suppose we can take some comfort in the fact that she is happy; having a great time; liking her job and co-workers; surrounded by good friends; and living one of her dreams.  I still hear from her at least once daily which I like very much and it is nice to hear all about her discoveries (restaurants, museums, shops, etc.).  It's not completely easy for daughter C either as she is the daughter who always suffers with homesickness.  Even though I could take advantage of this in an effort to get her back closer to us, I wouldn't dare.  Instead I have busied myself with a special project that I hope will help her transition smoother and the homesickness lighter.  Sigh.

I received a text from her on her first day of the new job during lunch: "Where's all the iced tea?"  To build upon a phrase uttered by the debonair Rhett Butler, I replied, "It's back in Charleston. Where you belong!"