College Acceptance: Am I Ready?!

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Wow, our littles are growing.

I feel like it was just last week we were dropping my son off at kindergarten. Here we are–senior year and sending out college applications. We have 3 wonderful kids, and our son is the youngest. Our two daughters decided to stay and study locally so here we are applying for colleges away from home. I keep asking myself, Is he ready to be on his own? Will he succeed without us there? Will he be safe? The list can go on. But the real question is AM I READY?

Image: A side-by-side of Natasha's son in kindergarten, and now a senior in high school

In November we sent out applications to 5 different universities from Tampa to the Orlando area. As a mom, I was excited but scared at the same time. I’ve been his mom for 18 years. (I know I’ll always be his mom.) But I have cared for him for all these years, and we prepare them for the real world, but I never thought the real world would arrive so fast. My kids are my world and always will be. So now all applications are sent, and we sit and wait.

Waiting…

The waiting game is horrible and nerve-racking. Anxiously checking the mail every week for a letter. We would discuss what choices would be made. We also spoke about the possibility of not getting into the main one he wanted. As parents, wanted him to be prepared in case his top choice didn’t take him. We wanted all of us to be mentally prepared.

Letters Arrived

Then our first letter arrived. Our nerves ran through our veins, butterflies in our stomachs and the moment we have been preparing our son for has arrived. Dad is at work, but our son and I can’t wait. Thank goodness for technology–we FaceTime him. When we tell him we have our first letter he pulls over and we’re ready to open it. What an exciting and scary moment all at the same time. Congratulations, Steven! is the very first sentence he reads. We yell, jump and cry all at once. Ok, I cried. No one else did.

It was the start of a college acceptance domino effect. One letter after another came in all saying, Congratulations, Steven…

Image: A college acceptance letter

Needless to say, our boy got into all 5 universities he applied to. Now came the hard part–picking the right school he wanted to go to.  He is a planner and a prepared person; he gets that from his dad. He had already made a list of schools from top choice to last choice. So, his decision was fast; he picked his number one choice.

I have one piece of advice for you. Be part of every step of the college decision. It’s an amazing feeling and such a great bonding time. Not going to lie I am a ball of emotions like I said in the beginning: excited, terrified, and sad all at once. But most of all a proud mom!!

Image: Natasha's son proudly wearing a UCF hoodie

College acceptance, check. Now we’re off to the next step of applying for housing. Where is he going to live when he goes? Here we go…

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Natasha Arias
Natasha was born and raised in Miami, FL. She is a proud UPS wife to a very hardworking husband. She is a proud mom of 3 magnificent kids: Nicole (23), Kaytlin (20), and Steven (17). She loves spending time with her family and going on vacation… who doesn’t?! She owns a small business called Limitless Tee Co. It started off as a hobby but took off into what it is today. She’s also on Etsy. She has had the business since 2019. A fun fact about her is she’s a huge I Love Lucy fan and collector, as well as a funko pop collector. She loves curling up on the couch with her husband and playing video games till late hours. She’s also a devoted fan of the New England Patriots and looks forward to football season. Life threw her a curveball when she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2012, so she believes in living life to the fullest. She’s a firm believer that “Your illness does not define you. Your strength and courage does,” and that’s something she has instilled in her kids. Follow her on IG @limitlesscouple305.

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