Anyone who’s parented a child to adulthood knows letting them fly off into the world is equal parts rough and rewarding. There can be an initial sense of mourning or even profound loss when they set out on their own — one that parenting experts say is a normal part of the empty-nest transition. But in my case, there’s another twist. My only child shipped off to college in the fall. He left his Midwestern home, friends, and family behind for Southern California and hasn’t looked back.
