This past Monday we moved Bennett into his dorm on the campus of UCCS. It was a day of excitement and newness. It is also the next chapter in Bennett's life; living on his own, studying what interests him, meeting new friends. You can't help but be happy for him. As parents, the whole thing is still surreal. How can my baby be this big already? How can he now be the age I still feel? Our excitement is laced with bittersweet nostalgia. We each have a lot to process during this transition of growth and change. But I refuse to let this be a post about me and how I feel. I want this wonderful, exciting, novel time to focus on the joy we feel for Bennett. He deserves every good thing coming his way. He had such a turbulent elementary, middle, and high school experience that we've all been excitingly anticipating college for a long time.
This is the view from his dorm. Even though we're in the midst of a pandemic, the university decided to open and allow the kids to move-in. They have done a fantastic job taking every precaution necessary. Move-in was changed from one day to 4 days with set time frames for each student. It was wonderful. Plus, instead of being packed two to a room, he now has a whole room to himself for the price of a 4 person suite. He has only one other roommate who is also in his own room. They share a living and bathroom space.
Here is his room. He is in Aspen Hall at Summit Village.
Here he is resting after we unpacked and organized everything just the way he wanted it. He ordered some Kobe posters to decorate his walls with, but they didn't arrive before he left. Gives him a reason to come home to pick them up.
This is the other side of Bennett's room, opposite of his bed. Under normal circumstances, another kid would have been there. But now, he can spread out...which he has yet to realize is an incredible luxury for dorm living. We were able to move the second desk and bookcase under the bed to allow for more space.
He put great effort into organizing his shoe rack.
This is the view from the living room into his room.
This is the view from his bed. Again....lucky.
We took the customary last pictures with our boy before leaving.
One with Dad, one with Mom. And then we just left him there. Crazy how that works.
