Moving Grace to a New College: Another Step Into the Big Wide World

Moving a college student to a new school feels different than the first time.

Since Grace is transferring to a new college, this wasn’t a first goodbye—it was another step. Another move, and another moment of learning how to let go as my daughter started fresh in a new place.

Even when you’ve done it before, it never feels completely familiar.

Moving a College Student to a New School

As I type, I am up in Utah with my Grace moving her into her new apartment.

Letting her go.

Again.

Gosh this motherhood dealio sure is chock full of “letting-gos,” and I have been musing about that lately.

Grace started college at BYU Hawaii and was in love with that place. But Covid threw a hanger in the works, and they closed the school right before she finished her college freshman year.

And then she decided, in the middle of the worldwide covid epidemic, that she would serve a mission.

So this transfer to UVU is a whole new ballgame. A whole new world.

As I was musing about goodbyes, it’s interesting that this video somehow showed up in my feed:

I mean, how does a mother let kids like that go?

Holy smokes, little did I know back then, those four little girls lighting up my world, filled with all kinds of energy and crazy antics, (and my mellow son who wouldn’t have been caught dead dancing to the hoedown;) would take me on such a ride. I have written about the emotional journey of moving to different mothering stages before, and every stage is so different.

It’s kind of cool to think about all that has happened since those little girls were dancing with all that enthusiasm in the middle of our entryway way back then.

And then there we were, after jamming in all kinds of grad stuff and a huge new college decision for Claire, Grace and I took off.

Moving my daughter to college, Again

Grace and I packed up trusty “Ted” the truck and headed out on the big, wide, long road heading North to her new adventure:

College beginning again.

Time at Home After Her Mission

I know, SO FAST! It seems like we just got her back from her mission.

And although we knew it couldn’t last forever, this is the next step in her progression, we sure LOVED having her home for a while.

We loved having her in the midst of all the get-ready-for-graduation hoopla for Claire:

(Couldn’t ask for a better helper for all that jazz.)

She took Lucy on all kinds of dates and made her feel like a million bucks, right when Lu was needing it the most:

She was ON it to get Claire out to prom:

…and to be on the sidelines of all her volleyball games.

…and to get us to the lake (she’s our lake girl for sure).

I got to spend some pretty precious time with her during the days. One of my favorite times going to the temple ever was with her last week:

We had a pretty special experience there.

The Drive to a New College Experience

And then there we were, ON THE ROAD, on to the next step of her life.

The two of us paired together on a long drive is funny because we both love the earth SO much and whoever is driving keeps exclaiming, “look at that!” or “oh my goodness so beautiful!” or “take a picture of that!”

We just smile and think how lucky we are to be safely nestled in Mother Earth.

We drove all day long, got some things situated in her apartment:

(Max and Abby came to meet us to help us figure it all out and Abby was the only one to think of taking a picture but I’m just so excited for all these kids to be together here!)

And then she started school bright and early the next day (she’s going to the summer semester up here).

Adjusting to a New Campus and New Start

We didn’t have time to figure out parking permits so speedy quick and only have one car up here so I got to drop her off to her first class. I felt such love for her watching her walk into that first college class in such a long time! (She didn’t even get to finish her first year at BYU-Hawaii because that’s when covid hit, so it’s been a long time!)

After class I got to walk the whole campus with that girl of mine (fun to think of Claire being here with her in the Fall). We talked to counselors and she changed her major and worked on figuring out all her other classes, etc.

We even found the institute building (which was so fun after having just been at “her” institute building on the University of Texas campus last week):

Settling Into a New College Apartment

We packed so much into a short amount of time: unpacking:

Trips to IKEA, Target, Costco, the grocery store, all the minutia of moving.

We got to meet and hang out with some kids from her mission:

We helped situate her room:

Loved hanging with Max and Abby:

Got to see where Abby works and those guys helped us move a bunch in, and wrapped their arms right around this new Provo girl (they are the BEST).

Still so much to situate today before I take off, but so glad I get to be here for this snippet of this big step for this girl of mine I adore.

She’s just finishing class so I am running to meet her, but send some prayers her way if you have extras to spare as she adjusts to this new college world in such a new place!

Other Transitions in Mothering:

• First college drop-off experience
• A mission return
• Letting kids go through ALL kinds of transitions