This summer, nsshere has been taking summer school at her new high school. One of the classes she has been taking is life skills, which isn’t what I thought it would be… but is really study techniques and how to pick a college. So she’s been going through all sorts of college decision tools, and coming up to us afterwards and saying, “Dad, I’d like to go to <insert school here>”.
Many of the schools are back east. Many are private.
No, we don’t have enough money saved for a private school for her, but she is learning about scholarships, so if she addresses that hurdle, there’s a bigger one I’ll have to face. Her moving out. Yes, this is four years away. But still, as a parent, it is a hard thing to contemplate. She’s actually a neat person to have around the house, and I enjoy talking to her.
So, on the one hand, I want her to go to the school of her dreams, whereever it is. On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind her going to CSUN or UCLA or any school in Southern California, just so she’s close by.
I guess every parent faces this. I guess, as children, we never realized what our parents went through when we moved out.*
(*: unless, of course, your parents actually wanted you out of the house. You get the clue when you come home from High School graduation and find your room packed for you.)
