Let College Begin!


 August 16 was move in day for Anna at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).  Classes begin on August 20.  Anna signed up for a move-in window of 3 - 6 PM, so departure time was 12:45 from Vienna in anticipation of a 2-hour drive to campus.  After goodbyes to her friend Vic and the requisite first day of school photo by the tree, it was time to hit the road.  Lesson 1:  never drive on I-95 during the middle of the day, especially on Fridays.  The 2-hour drive turned into a 3-hour drive (and a 2 1/2-hour drive home).  Fortunately, there are several good public transportation options that Anna can utilize for future trips.

VCU has the move-in down.  You pull up and drop the stuff on the curb.  The students check out giant bins on wheels to pile all of their stuff into and line up for the elevators (Anna is on the 8th floor).  Since a microwave and refrigerator are provided, it definitely reduces the amount of stuff Anna needed to pack.  The packing bags that were recommended worked great!  It took Anna less time to move her stuff in and unpack then it did for us to drive through Fredericksburg, VA (see earlier traffic reference).  Anna's roommate, Wren, was already there and the girls got to work unpacking.  During the back and forth, Anna also ran into two of her friends from Madison choir along with her choir director, Mrs. Rowan (her son Wil is also going to VCU and in Anna's dorm).  There are lots of new faces along with some familiar faces.  Things that Anna's parents are worried about:

  • That she will not make full use her dining plan and eat out too much (mom)
  • She will not have enough money on her dining plan (dad)
  • She will never wash her sheets (mom)
  • Someone will steal her laundry from the laundry room (dad)
  • She will get distracted by all of the activities and not focus on her schoolwork (mom)
  • She will not get involved in the school activities (dad)
  • She will not fully utilize all of the services offered by the university (mom and dad)

After drop-off, Joe and Theresa headed to their new "go-to" restaurant in Richmond, which happens to be called Joe's Inn the Fan before leaving their only child in the city of Richmond to fend for herself.  The first crisis emerged before Joe & Theresa got home when Anna called upset because she could not submit an Amazon order (apparently the new IP and shipping address triggered fraud warnings and blocked the account).  Her Dad came to the rescue and the account was restored the next day.  Crisis averted.

Let college begin!



Anna & her roommate,Wren



Anna & Vic







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