Leaving the Nest

Artwork:  Leaving the Nest by Siobhan Knox

After many years knowing this day would come, it is almost here.  My daughter is leaving the nest, heading off to college to better prepare herself for her future.  This time is bittersweet for me.  I've always known my baby would go to college, we've known since she was 5, when she declared that she would go to UC Davis for their veterinary program.  A lifelong love for animals has inspired her to be a veterinarian, and she knew at a very young age that that would be the career for her.  I am enormously proud of her and know that she will do exceptionally well in anything she chooses for her life.  I know that she will fit in perfectly on the picturesque campus of UC Davis.  But on the other hand, why does it have to be soooooo far away. My little girl is going to be 430 miles, 6 hours 19 minutes, and a world away from me.  I will miss her dearly, and I think this will be so very much harder for me than it will be for her.  We will pack up the car and deliver her to her destination, her new home for the next 8 years, in exactly 31 days.  I already tear up just thinking about it.  However, I do take comfort in knowing that she has already booked and paid for her transportation home for the holidays.  It's not like she's leaving the nest forever, but it sure feels like it.