Change of address...Ugh

Last Thursday, I moved our daughter from Knoxville, Tennessee to Nashville, Tennesse where she will start her first "big girl" job.

 My husband was a little sad he wasn't asked to participate.  In my words, "she gave you a gift."

I arrived on Thursday. 

 

In her apartment, the same apartment for the last three years, it was sad, "packed up", filled with crates, labeled and organized.  Two of the roommates were gone and Addie, literally had one foot out the door.  Reese was "rotting on the couch".

My daughter was all over the place, sad, happy, excited, nervous and anxious.  I have been there.

As she ran one last errand, I decided to take one last walk around Knoxville and campus.

I needed to walk after the trip.  

I love Knoxville.  I loved her experience at UTK.  I loved the person my daughter had become at UTK.

And again, I was sad.  I was going to miss it.  I hate the color orange, but I love Tennessee orange.  The colors on campus were lovely and there is nothing like a college campus at the end of semester.  Very few people, quiet, clean and neat.  Delightful.

And as much as I loved my walk, I was sad.  I was sad she is leaving Knoxville; I wasn't ready for it to be over. I was not done with Knoxville.  I love UTK.  Why?  This is why she was here...so she could learn and leave.  Ugh.  

Or was it because she leaving and moving further away and really flying on her own?

And sadly, there was nothing I could do.

The three of us went to Cruz's for ice-cream...Addie went to say goodby to some friends, I said goodbye to Reese and went to bed.

Five came quickly.  IT was like Christmas morning.  And my daughter was in rare form, aka, mean and on a mission. 

Our first stop was U-Haul. Charles, who moved like a snail, was our "customer service representative.  He asked Adeline her name, she responded, and he says, "are you sure Out of Line?"

Game on Charles.

My favorite memories will always be Addie running back and forth to her truck, getting the pins and other things that she needed to attach the hitch and trailer and being so organized.  (Actually, the previous owner, Ginger, she was the one organized)

Next stop, her elderly friend, Miss Fawn, where we had to grab her new sofa, etc. and get it into the trailer asap before the thunderstorm came.  We beat it.  But barely. The two of us running with a sofa, into a U-Haul, will never leave my memory.

She arrived at her new humble abode.

I arrived an hour later.

There is nothing like your first place.  Hers is nice but even if it was a rate infested dump, she would have thought it was the Taj Mahal.  She would never forget this place.  Ever. 

We unloaded; she bossed me around.  I did what I wanted to do.  She followed me around to make sure that I was listening. Only one time did I flip her off when she turned around.  Only once.

Guess she had grown up a little since the collegiate drop off four years ago.  She was much better. 

And then, she announced that we need to drive through all parts of Nashville, with a trailer, to pick up a mattress and box springs from two different people, in two different areas on a Friday afternoon.  And we were picking up a mattress from a stranger.  I was appalled, literally appalled and convinced that she would get an STD from the mattress.

In the coolest part of town, we drove up, U-Haul in tow, and meet Hailey.  Adorable Hailey.

She slept on the mattress three times, still had the plastic on it.  She was going to donate it, but she could not carry it herself and she needed to get it out of the apartment before Saturday. 

We carried that puppy, STD free, to the trailer.  

Seriously, who moves three hours away, drags the 64-year-old mother along, has nowhere to sleep, and makes it happen for $75 and with zero diseases?

As it turned out, Addie furnished her whole room for $425 off Facebook Marketplace and $150 for a cowhide rug.  Unreal.  Years ago, I took her to a Thrift Store for a Halloween Costume, and she had a meltdown.  She was horrified that someone else had worn these clothes.  Never did I expect for her to furnish her room from Facebook Marketplace.  

A funny sidenote, my friends worked at the Thrift store and gave me two sweatshirts from there.  One Steelers, one UTK.  Never told her where they came from and that Steelers sweatshirts is one of her favorites.  

After the obligatory mom trip to Ross's and Walmart, I simply said, "it is 7pm (and Nashville is an hour behind), we have not eaten all day, and I need a shower, a burger and a cocktail."

We went out for her first night out, in her new city.  We sat at the bar and a fellow came up to us and said, "It is so nice to see a young girl hanging out with her mom".

It was only because I could drive the U-Haul.

It was a quick first night out for both of us.

Saturday morning came quickly.  Why do you always sleep so fast when you are tired?

A great breakfast, a nap and a trip to drop off our friend the U-Haul. It was a little sad.

And then, I had to say goodbye to my daughter. So hard.   She has no idea that I drove for about two miles and then I had to pull over, bawl my eyes out and get my shit together.  

I wanted a new place to live; I wanted new bed linens and a new beginning.  I wanted a do over.  A do over on life.  I wanted zero creases on my face and eyes, I wanted new friends to live with, and new experiences and I wanted to be as fat as I thought I was at 23 and wanted the new experiences and excitement.  I wanted to do with her.  And watch.  And share her successes and lift her up when her days are awful. I wanted that whole Mary Tyler Moore show for her, and I wanted to be there with her. Rhoda. 

But she forwarded her address, and it is in a totally different state than mine.

I got my act together and continued and started home.

As I passed Knoxville, I saw the U-Haul where the journey started. I started laughing.

And she called me a few times.  That made me feel better.  

Her address is different...but she still lives in my heart.  

I will see her less, we will see her less because that was the plan.  Love them, teach them, encourage them, give them tools, stand aside and let them succeed.  

And it rips your heart out. It is so hard.  Easy to say, hard to do. 

I just did not see that posted on the change of address form.