waboo@1229
Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2016
- Messages
- 34
You're probably in a tough spot, because I don't think they finalized the 2020 calendar until spring this year.
I live in California so the journey to West Point is not an easy one. My DS is in 2020 and have had the privilege of attending R-day and A-day, we're looking forward to Parent Weekend this coming weekend, check in with me next week. Both visits are emotional. R-day is a day to walk around in a funk. My DS has the last SSN of 0, so we had to be there a 0 dark 30 (it was tough getting up early, but didn't have to wait in the enormous line). Did our 60 second goodbye and wandered in a haze. Wrote a letter to DS and comforted mama bear. Walked around the incredible campus seeing the sites. Went to swearing in ceremony and endured the rain, swelled with pride watching them march into Washington Hall. A very long day, glad I went, but if you must choose, skip Rday. If you can afford it, stay at the Thayer, we stayed in Montgomery, about 30 min north. It wasn't convenient to go back to the room to wait for the swearing in ceremony.
Unfortunately, I could not afford to attend marchback and stay for the week. Went to A-day and was great experience watching them accepted into the Corps of Cadets. (I couldn't find DS until I reviewed the pictures of his company later at home on my computer.) We were excited to see him, and he was thrilled to see us. We stayed in Fishkill about 30 min north of campus, near some restaurants and a Walmart. Hungout and napped in hotel room. Wife seemed happy to be doing his laundry. Ate and shopped for supplies (and a Keurig) at Walmart. Even went to a minigolf Sat evening. Had to be back by Taps Sat. nite, picked him up Sunday for another day together. So happy we went. DS was happy to be off campus and away from upper classmen. For that reason DON'T stay at the Thayer. DS wanted to be away from campus in general, upper classmen in particular, plus he wanted to shop for school/dorm supplies and there's nothing like that in Highland Falls.
We have splurged for Plebe Parent Weekend in March 2017, making a reservation at the Thayer.
Best of luck to your DS. My DS went to NW Prep in California and really helped him for the academic rigors of the academy. It's a roller coaster and our ride has barely started.
Thank you for your time and energy to help me and our family make plans. I sent one of my four sons off to boot camp(4 years ago) with very little knowledge of where he was or what he was in for. He was barely 18 and for 4 years and 24 months of them deployed, we seldom knew what his world looked like. Much of his time we were unable to visit. I am choosing to drop my DS, my youngest son for R-day only because if it is possible I want to see where he will be walking, jogging, studying and growing for the next four years and feel the energy of his amazing accomplishment. I laughed out loud when I read
the loving term "mama bear", that is what my family calls me on occasion. My daughter, our youngest is only 11 and LOL as well!
I wish your DS the very best of luck and appreciate your time and effort to assist me and my family through this process.
Hopeful mom of 2021!