As I piled my over-stuffed suitcase, grocery bags, comforter, sheets, games, bathroom supplies and personal care kits into the back of my family’s SUV, I realized that the car looked like the Beverly Hillbillies’.  My car looked like it was packed for year-long stay at a resort in Florida. But I was only going for a five-week stay at Northwestern University, 45 minutes down the highway. For the entire trip down, I reminded my parents that even though we lived close, I did not want them to make surprise visits or pester me to come down.  Even though they reassured me that they would not do this, I still had my doubts.

When I got to Northwestern, I made my parents help me unload the car as quickly as possible.  Then I hugged them both goodbye and sent them off.  I did not want to be the girl whose parents stuck around because she lived close to campus.  I felt it was necessary to make sure everyone knew I wanted to be on my own.  Because I lived so close, I was afraid that I would not get the whole going away to college experience. 

I was not in touch with my parents as much as some of the other cherubs, but I felt there was no long distance between us.  I knew in the back of my mind that if I needed anything, my mom would drive down in a flash.  I also knew this was not the same reality for other cherubs.  I had to balance my want to be independent with my want to see my family. 

With each day passing, I felt more and more like a college student.  I woke myself up, walked to classes, stayed up late with no one telling me I should get some sleep, used a credit card to get money, went out to eat with friends and did my own laundry.   I noticed that I was completing tasks that I would not always do at home.  I enjoyed all of this independence, but later in the program, I also decided it was okay to get visits from my family too.

For the next five weeks, I was visited a few times by various family members.  I enjoyed hanging out with my family, and I realized that many cherubs had their families visit or wished their families could visit. 

One night my brothers came down just to spend two hours with me.  When I saw them, my heart pounded.  I loved my brothers, and three weeks was a long time without them.  After we wandered around Evanston for an hour debating where and what we wanted to eat, we agreed to go to Coldstone Creamery.  We walked back to the dorm, and I showed them around.  Sharing my dorm life and experiences with them was easier because they got a behind the scenes look at my life.  My dog, Lilly, even stopped by for a quick visit. 

Seeing my family did not make me less independent than the other cherubs.  I liked calls from my family asking when they could visit because it showed how much they loved me.  Sure my parents brought me down snacks, but I did not let them give me too much help, even when they wanted too.  I still got homesick at times because I was not at home, I was living in a dorm.  I still experienced “college life” without traveling 2,000 miles, and I got to spend a bit of time with my parents, brothers and my dog.