We Are Back

We are home, we are exhausted, and it was fun.

I had forgotten what a crazy, upside down schedule college kids keep. It’s been a few years since I was in college, but judging from what I saw while visiting our two sons, not a whole lot has changed since I was a co-ed. Their day begins between 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon, meals are whenever and whatever they can scrounge or afford, laundry is done every 3-4 weeks (easier to buy new undies than to wash the dirty ones), a $.50 an hour raise at work is reason enough to go out and celebrate on the town, and a night on the town doesn’t really start happening until about 11:00 p.m.

Our arrival to town was greeted with sincere happiness and anticipation. My husband and I never felt so loved, adored, and wanted. Carefully prepared shopping lists were presented, restaurants they could only dream of eating at were chosen and reserved, dorm rooms and apartments were cleaned to a presentable state, and girlfriends and boyfriends were introduced. It was great.

These past few days brought back a lot of wonderful memories from my college days, but no desire to go back to those days. I loved them while I lived them, but reliving those long gone college days again vicariously through our sons did not make me long to have them back, it just wore me out. It was truly wonderful to see them enjoying their college years as much as I enjoyed mine. They don’t know it yet, but they will probably look back on these years of poverty, hard work, and dreams as some of the best, most carefree years of their life, I know I do.

It is great to be home. I need my routine, I need my sleep, and I need to eat normal food at normal hours. Ugh, I think ….

I might be getting old.