Don't get me wrong , I love my two boys but I'm glad they out are out of the house .

I'm an empty nester too. It will be a bit hard and very different for a little while.
I had a talk with my youngest when she graduated boot camp was off to begin her own adventure.
It was almost a physical exchange of me handing over her life to her. Telling her that she now is solely responsible for her choices and life, and that I will forever be in her corner right of wrong.
A few weeks of living alone and I started to relax and get used to being only responsible for myself and that I can focus on me and reconstruct my life into one I've always wanted.

The hardest part of learning how to live an empty nest lifestyle was dinner planning. My wife and I lived as DINKs for nearly five years before we had our first child. It was easy back then. Now, dinner is hard b/c we end up having to eat it for 3 days straight. That was the hardest part once we got used to the emptiness in the house.

It’ll get better once you find out they still need your help and guidance.

It’s hard for me to believe how fast time has gone. I dropped my daughter off nine years ago for her first year of college. I’ll admit I was a bit blurry eyed on the 3-hour trip back home. Being a single dad with an only child, the house was eerily quiet. It was hard to let her go but on the other hand it gave me such pride to watch her become her own person.

5 years later, she had her master’s degree and numerous positive lifetime experiences (including a semester studying abroad). That fall she took a job within an hour drive from where I live. She’s been working her tail off and a couple of weeks ago she paid off her last student loan.

She’s getting married on Saturday. I’m sure I’ll be a bit blurry eyed again but am looking forward to watching her and my future son in law live this next chapter of their lives and am thankful that they’ll be not too far away.

"Find my friends" (Apple locator app) helps me. I feel a little bit connected being able to see they're in the dining hall, or out on the quad, or in their dorm. It also helps me feel that it's best that they are gone, because I'm reminded of the nice college that they are at, and the great experiences they are getting.

I do try not to call or text much at all. But I do hope to hear from them some. They change a lot that first semester away. A whole lot.

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Originally posted by r0gue:
"Find my friends" (Apple locator app) helps me. I feel a little bit connected being able to see they're in the dining hall, or out on the quad, or in their dorm. It also helps me feel that it's best that they are gone, because I'm reminded of the nice college that they are at, and the great experiences they are getting.

I do try not to call or text much at all. But I do hope to hear from them some. They change a lot that first semester away. A whole lot.

Yes i have that app and I agree it is a comfort.
what changes did you see?

We've been empty nesters for 2 years now, and it seems like yesterday we dropped her off at school. She is graduating a year early and will be entering the workforce next summer. She's fiercely independent, but still our kid and we talk daily.

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I didn't think it would affect me that much. But coming home to a empty house really hit me hard yesterday...

About the time we got use to a quite/empty house, one of the kids came back for a weekend. Got to be sort of funny - seemed we were constantly adjusting then readjusting.