My son will be a senior this year! I can’t believe that it is time for my youngest boy child to leave the nest. It seems like just yesterday that he was born, I know that is so clique, but well, it’s true. With him entering his senior year, not only do I get to take his senior class pictures, I get to tour College campuses with him.

                Our search for him to find the perfect home for the next four years of his life has allowed us to spend quite a few hours in the car together road tripping.  I’m an adventurer at heart so this is right up my alley of top ten things to do. This adventurer also loves to sing along to the radio or play an air instrument if I don’t know the words. All this has brought several strange looks from my son and a staunch refusal to join my band. I am sure he thinks I have totally lost my mind at this point and is ready to put me in a home for the mentally unstable. But I digress.

                So far we have toured three colleges and we have two left to go. I have tried to make a point of finding fun things to do in each location, so that he not only has a feel for the college he might attend but for the surrounding area. I think it’s important to know what the area is like before you move there, I mean what good is it if you move to an area you hate. Exploring the world around you should be part of the college experience.

                We have bowled, gone to the movies, zip-lined and took a ride on an alpine coaster, enjoyed meals at some out of the way restaurants and seen some interesting sights. But the most fun to me is watching my son have a good time and seeing the light in his eyes brighten as he sees a world with endless possibilities.

Will it be work? Yes.

Will there be struggles? Yes.

But there will also be lots of fun an adventure as you start to truly explore your world as an adult, meeting new people, seeing new sites and trying new activities.  Yes!

I am very excited and happy for my son as well as all the upcoming 2016 graduates. You all have a bright future in store for you no matter what path you decide to follow. For some of you it might mean college, others it could mean technical school or the military. Others of you may already have jobs or plan on backpacking Europe or something. There are endless possibilities for your path and your future, and whatever path you decide to follow make it an adventure!