As the summer wore on, we inched closer and closer to the exciting (or should I say dreaded?) college move-in at University of Alabama, a 10-hour drive from our home in Katy. No, it wasn't dreaded, but it was definitely a big change that was causing some nerves and big emotions for all of us. My family kept asking me when I was going to break down (haha) but I think I was just so distracted with the planning and list-making that was keeping me focused for the days ahead.
The amazing thing about living in today's world of social media is that there are groups and support for anything and everything. Once Connor made the decision to attend UA, I joined a Facebook group for fellow parents of Alabama freshmen, and it was just a huge resource and wealth of information to help us plan and get organized for Connor's upcoming move into the dorms. I found photos and ideas from another parent of Connor's exact dorm room configuration, and that became our blueprint for dorm decor and accessories to help plan and furnish Connor's room. Another huge help was the fact that UA let us ship items directly to the mailroom for an on-campus pickup when we arrived later in the summer. Between Walmart, Amazon, and Target, most of Connor's future dorm room was ordered, shipped, and delivered throughout the summer straight to the campus, waiting for us in countless boxes in the UA mailroom once we made it to our official move-in date.
All summer long, I maintained multiple shared lists for shopping, packing, and organizing to get us ready for the big move-in. By the time early August arrived, we had a great plan in place and it was time to focus on getting Connor's remaining belongings packed and loaded for the long drive. In true Connor fashion, he waited until the last possible moment, but we finally got ourselves situated and packed. My friends were amazed at how little we were actually packing in our vehicle, but most of Connor's dorm items would be waiting for us when we made it on campus.
Before we knew it, the day had arrived for Connor's official dorm move-in. We were full of excitement and nerves for the big weekend ahead. Most freshmen at Alabama opt to go without a vehicle since they are required to live on campus and don't really need one, but Connor decided he preferred to have his car. So we set off in our 2-vehicle caravan, both of our cars loaded with luggage and dorm essentials and long playlists to keep us entertained on our 10-hour drive ahead. Alabama, here we come!
We arrived in Tuscaloosa and went to bed fairly early for our 8:00 a.m. package pickup the following morning. It was a gorgeous weekend, surprisingly cool, and yet another example of the "gaslighting" (according to Connor, ha!) that the local weather was pulling on us, because it's normally muggy and miserable this time of year. Connor was one of the first students who arrived at the UA mailroom for his package pickup, and he wheeled out quite the load of irregularly-shaped boxes for us to squeeze into our car. We managed to shove them all inside, and then it was off to the dorm drive-through for Connor's scheduled move-in time. On the Facebook groups, I had been hearing about the incredible move-in process for months. Sure enough, it was an amazing display of speed and efficiency by these awesome student volunteers and resident advisors (RAs). Within minutes, both of our cars had been expertly unpacked and unloaded into large carts. Connor was off to get his room keys, and about the time we made it to his dorm on the 5th floor, the RAs arrived with his carts and quickly unloaded the boxes and luggage. Wow, what an easy and remarkable experience! And now, the real work to put the room together would begin.
I forgot to take official "before" photos of the dorm, but the UA honors dorms were located in the Ridgecrest South building which is comprised of suite-style dorms for freshman. Each student gets their own bedroom, a bathroom shared with one other person, and a living room/kitchen shared by a group of four. These dorm rooms were incredibly spacious, furnished, and functional, and they were actually the most accommodating dorms of any university we had toured. Connor was incredibly excited to have his own bedroom space, and we were ready to transform his room into a personal sanctuary for his freshman year ahead.
Jeff, Connor, and I quickly got to work opening and unpacking boxes so that we could clear out some space before Connor's roommate arrived with more belongings. We made great timing and each worked on our own assignments to assemble various dorm pieces. It started to come together in a few hours, and we were so proud of the end result.
Connor's room felt cozy, comfortable, functional, and simply perfect with many touches from home. His LED "Lock in" sign was a surprise dorm gift for him in recognition of his favorite phrase that helped him get through tough times in school. And his wall photos were fun reminders of his friends and family that loved him and were cheering him on. Despite the strict rules about dorm room wall hangings, we were able to make his room look personalized and homey, and it truly felt like Connor when we were finished. LOVE!
We spent the rest of the day and short weekend with final touches, and we were even able to run into Connor's buddy Mason and his parents. It was crazy to realize that these two elementary school friends and teammates ended up in the same dorm down the hall from each other all these years later!
It was a fast and furious two days at Alabama, and we felt great about Connor's new living space and his upcoming freshman year at UA. After he was settled in his dorm, we didn't have much time to spend with him because he was off to his freshman orientation called Camp 1831, where we were hopeful he would meet friends and find his people for the days ahead. When it was time for us to leave, the goodbyes were tough. As I write this post one year later, my eyes still fill with tears. We had NO DOUBT that Connor was where he belonged and would find his place here at UA, but gosh, it's so hard to drive away when a piece of your heart stays behind. We shed our tears outside Ridgecrest South Room 501 and hugged each other as tightly as ever. I'm not sure I've ever felt as proud of this kid -- his maturity, his strength, and his resolve to overcome and make hard decisions. Leaving Tuscaloosa, we knew big things were in store for Connor, and we couldn't wait to see what his future would hold!
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