We filled both cars to the brim with belongings and hoped that it would all fit in the new accommodations. After all, student housing isn't known for its storage capability - or its ambiance for that matter. We didn't hit Target on the way to get any dorm decor; we just shuffled the boxes and bags into the room with two twin beds and desks. At least there were two closets in the room.
We rearranged the furniture for more efficient placement - not a surprise since my husband, Chip, is a space planner. After everything was put away we stood back and surveyed the space. Not quite homey, but not as sterile as I thought it would be. Moving into campus housing isn't like being at home. Especially since we are the ones now living in the dorms, not our children!
You see, we're in between homes right now. We had to be out of our last house, but our next house is not ready yet. For a moment we were homeless, but the college where I work was generous enough to allow us to live on campus for a couple of weeks. I'm grateful for their generosity, although the fluorescent overhead lighting leaves something to be desired.
They say that home is where your heart is. Hmm. Then my home must be in Colorado, 2000 miles away - because that's where our children are. They are my heart.
I want to be excited about moving into our new house - and hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later. This is the first house we will live in that wasn't chosen with children in mind. I didn't have to consider the school district, the size of the yard , or the number of bedrooms or bathrooms. Buying a home as an empty nester is different than when you have a full nest.
Moving is also different when you're an empty nester - we no longer had free labor for the heavy lifting. We had to hire two strong guys to help us load the truck - I used to have two strong guys living with or nearby. So basically you're a lot more sore and exhausted moving as an empty nester than before. It's harder when you have to do all the work yourself!
But some of the differences are positive. Like only having to move half of the belongings we once had (since there are half the number of people). It's also nice not to have a time frame that we have to work around (e.g., the start of school, etc.). And we can be more flexible. So if we have to move into a dorm for two weeks, then we can.
My nest may be empty, but that too is temporary. We bought a big enough house so that there is room for our children to come visit comfortably. And I can't wait to hear the pitter patter (more like stomp stomp) of their feet on the hardwood floors of our new home.