I arrived at Penn State waaayyyy back when with not much more than a comforter, a few suitcases of clothes, and an illegal mini hot pot contraption. Yesterday Cearra and Sha claimed their place at Mary Baldwin by filling their dorm room with a TV, a DVD player, two laptops, a fan, a free-standing jewelry cabinet, two printers/scanners/copiers, two refrigerators, warehouse size packages of Easy Mac, granola bars and bottled water, and enough clothes, shoes, and beauty products to open a boutique! I think they will be unpacking and organizing for weeks to come (although I have no doubt they will make everything fit and it will all look good).
We had a great time settling them in - getting to know Sha's family, talking with Cearra's academic adviser, getting her books for the first semester (10 books at over $300 for 4 classes - yikes!), enjoying a good dinner at the school's cafeteria, and meeting some of her fellow freshman and hall mates. Owen was a great goodwill ambassador as he very much enjoyed walking into dorm rooms and soliciting high-fives from the other students.
At the end of the day we all hugged and shed a few tears, then watched as Cearra and Sha walked off to their first dorm meeting. I'm so proud and happy for Cearra. I know she is ready for this adventure; I know she will shine. I hope she loves each moment of these days and continues to grow as a woman, a student, a friend, and a leader. And I hope she remembers that no matter how far from "home" she is, she is always encircled with love.
