We are ten days out from moving my youngest into his freshman dorm, and we are far from ready.
I don’t mean emotionally, I mean physically.
We have purchased exactly one thing: a 10-pack of those Ikea frakta bags because it popped into my head a few weeks ago and I know they often sell out on Amazon. But that’s it. Nothing else. No bedding, no towels, no fan or desk lamp. No laundry basket, toiletries, shower caddy, or surge protector extension cords. Not even a single Command strip or piece of room decor. (We did order a new laptop, but it hasn’t arrived yet, and to be honest, that’s starting to freak me out a bit.)
For the most part, I’m surprisingly chill about.
Sort of.
I’m a planner, so I generally live by a list and a timeline. Not this time. I have a makeshift list on my phone, but that timeline … It keeps eluding me.
Maybe it’s an avoidance tactic hiding some deep rooted feelings of abandonment, but I doubt it. I think it’s a combination of procrastination, overwhelm, and work deadlines — plus my lunchtime/nighttime obsession watching really bad reality dating shows with my oldest. (Yes, I shameless watch Love Island and Too Hot To Handle with my 21-year-old son. Don’t judge me. We’re bonding.)
The kicker is, O isn’t particular about dorm room stuff. He doesn’t really care about the color of his towels or sheets, which fan he has, or whether or not I buy him a desk lamp. And what’s ironic is that makes it worse! It feels like too much pressure for me to pick for him. Does that make sense?
I know I need to just bite the bullet and order the essentials from Amazon so I can be done with it, and I will. This week. I just can’t seem to focus on it right now.
Maybe part of my procrastination is because this is my sixth year moving someone into a dorm, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s less is more and we can always buy stuff after he’s moved in. After all, there’s a Target and a Walmart less than two miles from campus. Problem solved — unless, of course, O’s move-in day is like H’s college drop-off: rushed and bitter. Then, all bets are off and he’s on his own.
With credit card in hand, he’ll figure it out. After all, he’s a college kid now.
— LJDT
