From California to the University of Alabama: Preparing for A Cross-Country College Move-In
Orchestrating all the moving pieces for a cross-country college move-in requires planning, adjusting, and flexibility! Once Dan decided to attend the University of Alabama, we knew there was much more than planning what classes he would take. That was the easy part. Getting there from California, with the things he needed, was much more challenging.
Away- Far Away
This wasn’t our first time moving a college student out of state, but this move would be different. While Boise State isn’t close, we know that Ken would have family nearby whom he could call if he ran into any challenges (and he has— several times). We felt encouraged that even though we were several states away, he had loved ones within a quick drive.
This move was different.
As Dan was evaluating the University of Alabama, he quickly realized we didn’t know anyone nearby. We don’t have family east of Idaho. So, if anything were to happen, he would need to reach out to the relationships he built at college, especially since it would take many hours for a parent to reach him. Was he ready for this type of independence and distance?
This wasn’t a question we could answer for him. I stayed in-state for college, which meant that my parents were a 6-8 hour drive or a short flight away. Dave commuted for a few years, so his family was never far away.
As Dan debated his options in the spring, we began to think about what it might look like to support him and orchestrate a move should he choose to attend The University of Alabama.
Pre-Decision Planning
We knew that a visit to the college campus would be essential so that we could understand what it would be like for Dan to attend. While other families might opt to do college visits before application and admission season, we did it differently. We had the boys research and apply before we did any visits. If they were willing to do the work to apply, we would support and fund the visits.
The University of Alabama hosts Admitted Tide days for students throughout the fall and spring, and we decided to travel out for one of them. Alabama would be a significant change for him, and we hoped an in-person visit would clarify things. We made it into a mini-vacation by spending a few nights in Nashville before driving to Tuscaloosa.
After a few days in Tuscaloosa and the planned events, Dan was still unsure— especially since he hadn’t heard from any of the Cal State or UC schools he’d applied to. It wasn’t a clear yes, but it wasn’t a clear no.
So now what? Should we wait to make any plans?
Tuscaloosa isn’t a big city, and there are hotels, but not many. We realized that if Dan were to attend, we would need a hotel room for move-in week. We were shocked to discover that the hotel we stayed at for the student days was already booked for move-in weekend. We were already “late,” and it was only March. Dave quickly found a hotel that would work for us and could cancel without penalty. If Dan decided to attend, we would have somewhere to stay at a reasonable rate.
We could plan how to support his move to college, but he needed to make the final decision himself.
Getting to a College Decision
The rest of March and April were filled with weekends of college events, conversations, and decision-making. This was the most significant decision of Dan’s life, and it wasn’t easy to make. Now that he had all the college’s decisions, he needed to say no to schools and close the door on them forever. What would he decide?
One Sunday evening, before his spring break week, he decided Boise State was the best choice. But he hadn’t visited the campus as an admitted student. The next day, we put him on a plane! He spent his spring break with Ken, attending college classes and getting to know the Business Department.
It was a valuable trip for him to compare the two schools- Alabama and Boise State. He returned and ended up removing Boise State from the list.
We were down to two: Alabama and San Diego State. They had similar programs but very different campuses, cultures, and settings.
We had visited San Diego State in January, but this was before he had a decision from them. There wasn’t an opportunity to talk to the professors and experience the university. The admitted student day was at the end of April- not leaving much time before May 1, decision day.
We drove down to San Diego for the admitted student day. There was a full day of activities, and we hoped this would seal the deal. Dave and I were pretty sure that San Diego would be the winner.
At the end of the day, on the grounds of the SDSU campus, he told us he was going to the University of Alabama. We just about fell out of our chairs. He’d made his decision—at long last— and it would mean big changes!
Finding Community- Before Arrival
Since Dan would be so far away, it was critical that he find community at the University and nearby so he could feel supported, even with the distance from home.
One of the first things we did was look for a church nearby. We found one and began streaming it so that we could feel comfortable with the community and the teachings. It was amazing to visit in person when we arrived in Tuscaloosa. We all felt like we were already a part of the congregation because we’d been streaming it over the summer.
Dan also made connections with other students and organizations over the summer. He found a roommate and also a fraternity that he was interested in.
Alabama had an in-person orientation in the summer, and those three days were a pivotal turning point for him. He left feeling unsure and came back excited for this next phase in his life. He connected with several other first-year students and planned to take classes with some of them in the fall.
Preparing for the Move
After the Alabama decision was finalized, the time came to begin more earnest preparation. Dan needed to make another big decision: Would he take his car with him or consider selling it? That wasn’t much of a decision for him: of course, the car was coming. He wanted to be free to drive himself around, especially since he would be so far away. Unlike most California schools, he could buy resident parking and bring his car as a freshman.
So, how many days does it take to get from California to Alabama? And who would go with him? Thankfully, the second question was easy to answer. Dan has a manual transmission, and I don’t drive a stick. So, Dave was the right choice for co-pilot and navigator.
They planned on three full days of driving to make the trek cross-country. Dave booked the hotels, and then it was time to plan my trip!
I couldn’t be a part of Ken’s college move-in, so I had to make do with the photos and phone calls. But this time, I was absolutely going to be there!!! And the best news— I could fly out!
We booked a flight for me and then the return flights for the two of us.
This was already taking a lot of preparation! And this was if all went smoothly. If the car broke down in Texas, we would have other issues!
Plan for the Worst and Hope for the Best
As the details began to come into focus, we took on the attitude of allocating enough time for the worst-case scenario. The guys were due to arrive in Tuscaloosa on a Thursday. This was the same day when my flight would land in Birmingham (the closest airport to campus). It is about an hour from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa, so they would come and get me at the airport if possible. Of course, they would need to unload some things from the car because there wouldn’t be any room for me with the car stuffed to the gills.
If something happened, and they were late, I would get a ride to the hotel and wait for them to show up.
We definitely didn’t want to miss his scheduled move-in time because the university had a process in place to make it all go smoothly. So, we decided to allow a full day for any issues. Dan scheduled his move-in for Saturday. We would leave Sunday afternoon, and his classes would start Wednesday. We had buffers for our buffers.
It would be an exhausting week, especially for Dan and Dave, who would be staying on I-40 for a REALLY long time. Thankfully there would be plenty of good BBQ!
Packing Up the Car (and his room)
So, how much stuff will fit in a Hyundai Veloster? Surprisingly, quite a lot! Dan was determined to find that out! He worked out a jigsaw puzzle of boxes and just the right amount of guitars to get it all in— and still see out the windshield. And let’s not forget to leave room for Dad and his long legs in the passenger seat!
As a part of the move-out process, I have the boys go through their rooms and box up the things that are important to them. They didn’t need to exit their rooms completely, but I wanted the rooms to be clean and have their special items put away safely. Ken and Dan took this opportunity to declutter, sort through old clothing, and discover what was hiding under their beds!
They also needed to clean the bathroom. Because there was no way I was going to excavate the mess that was the boys’ bathroom when they weren’t there. Nope, just nope.
Dan packed everything up and loaded into his car the night before they left. Except for a bit of a challenge of where the backpacks for tech were going, it all worked well.
Getting to Alabama: 3 Days of Driving and 1 Day of Flying
It took them three full days of driving to get to Alabama.
Day 1: LA- Gallup, New Mexico.
Day 2: Gallup-Oklahoma City.
Day 3: Oklahoma City-Tuscaloosa (drop off stuff)-Birmingham (pick up mom)-Tuscaloosa (collapse).
Thankfully, other than some music disagreements, the drive went as smoothly as it could have. We were exhausted when we arrived at the hotel in Tuscaloosa on Thursday night, but we had made it with all his stuff!
The next step was move-in. But first, we all needed some rest!
Jennifer Douglas
Jennifer is the author of "A Breast Cancer Journey: Living it One Step at a Time," breast cancer survivor, and patient advocate. Her book, published in 2023 by Bold Story Press, is an encouraging guide for breast cancer patients. It contains first-hand information, organized by topics, to help readers navigate the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from breast cancer. Her writing emphasizes emotional, mental, and physical well-being along with empowered decision-making.
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