It’s been three weeks since we dropped my older son off at college. He’s doing okay. Texting is the world’s greatest invention. EVER.

I, on the other hand, have found this entire year very stressful (even before he left). When I get stressed out, I tend to lose my appetite. A long time ago, I found that a great way to handle stress is to do more physical things. Lately I’ve been hiking a lot and eating less.

I’ve lost ten pounds since my son went off to college.

I can’t honestly say I’m unhappy, because the moments of sheer joy when I reach the top of a mountain (hiking, not rock climbing, I assure you) are sublime. The rattlesnake we saw yesterday on the way back down Mt. Tammany was NOT sublime. It was cool. Interesting. A little freaky, but not sublime.

Finding out that my son’s roommate bought a jar of peanut butter and cracked it open in their room to eat it, was also NOT FUN. I have a feeling I’ll be going hiking again in a day or so.

The moment I managed to climb up the Skyline Trail onto the North Lookout at Hawk Mountain was surprising (because, yeah, that actually was rock climbing). I didn’t know I could do that. I doubt I’ll do it again.

We go to visit my son in a week for the day. I’m looking forward to it.