the out of state college visit

We took Carter to a preview weekend at at college 2 states up from here.  It was a long 7 hour drive, but so much fun to be together with the eldest manchild.  The college is just precious.  The town like a Normal Rockwell painting...tiny, but darling and immaculate.  The kids on campus was like no college students we've seen before. As in, where were the "real" students?  Maybe locked up?  Kidding!  Really, this college is so amazing. Their focus is developing servant leadership and community. Sunday afternoon we took a tour. At then end of the tour, they whisked off the visiting students for their dinner and to meet their dorm room host for the night.  The door closed quickly and the parents were ushered to the parent dinner.  There was no goodbye, no time for the parents to meet the dorm room mate, just closed door and see ya tomorrow kid.  Another mom and I stood at the door looking lost.  She said "Well, that was abrupt".  It was hilarious!  Here we were visiting a college 7 hours away and the minute our kid is out of our safe keeping and watchful eye, I begin to lose it.  The other mom and I slowly walked away, chuckling how we weren't ready...and the lump formed...oh dear...I'm not ready for this reality....tears forming.  Mike looked at me like "Are you okay? It isn't that big of a deal".  I gathered my wits about me and was fine...really. So what if I checked my phone every 5 minutes to see if Carter had called or texted?!  

Mike and I went to the delicious parent dinner.  Then we headed over to watch chapel.  A tornado hit in my stomach all of a sudden.  I told Mike "I think I'm sick."  Barely made it through chapel and that was it.  Violently ill!!!  All...night...long...sick sick.  I even told Mike I made need an ER visit for iv fluids if it didn't abate soon.  So, the college preview weekend wasn't much of a preview for me.  I missed everything.  Mike went to the meetings and watched Carter audition for arts and ministry team scholarships.  

We made the long trek home(I slept in the back of the minivan).  Huge thanks to Nana for keeping the kids for 2.5 days for us.  The school was great!  If we could have dreamed up a school that suits him perfectly, this place was it. Carter has since decided that maybe that college is just too far.  He wasn't too keen on the idea of us leaving him there in August.  We keep praying over what he should do next fall.  I've already finished college...this isn't my gig, this is his life and he should live it the way God has set for him.