I’m getting pretty experienced at this college move-in thing. So, I thought I had it all together. This year, we had to move-in Taryn as a sophomore, which meant that we didn’t get an army of student ambassadors helping us move her excessive stuff into a tiny space. We’ve done this once before when Trent was a sophomore. And we even upped the ante when we moved Trent into a house last year, using only Bert, the SUV of questionable origin. It included a bed, a mattress, a futon, a desk (okay, a folding table and chair that acted as a desk…he’s young, it works), an entertainment center, a collapsible picnic table (on the roof), and a myriad of personal belongings. I am a WINNER at this college move-in thing. Taryn to Valpo, mere child’s play for this mom. So we packed up Bert last Saturday and travelled the 15 minute drive to Valpo University. We pulled up to the dorm unloading spot. I parallel parked Bert in excellent fashion. Well, I parallel parked Bert, which is enough. Taryn ran to the dorm to sign in and get a moving cart. She selected the BEST moving cart because she is a WINNER too.

We loaded all her stuff (neatly packed in bins that we will later take home) onto this one cart. We had a few extraneous items that were carried by Travis and Taryn, while Tayden and I navigated the over-burdened cart. We were WINNERS because we fit it all in one trip. It was tricky business, but we got through the doors and in line for the elevator. I heard one comment on it not fitting in the elevator, but they didn’t know that they were dealing with a move-in WINNER, so I scoffed at the comment. Travis and Taryn opted for the stairs. After a few waits, our turn finally came. I pulled the cart as Tayden pushed the cart into the elevator. The elevator was long to the left and not very deep, so our plan was to come from the right and slide it on in. Except, our cart was too long. It got shimmed and stuck. And I was trapped inside the elevator. The front right corner was braced on the back of the elevator, the back left corner was braced on the right side of the door, and the left middle was braced on the other side of the door. The more Tayden pushed and I pulled, the more stuck it got. The line behind us looked hot and sweaty from moving stuff, and wasn’t particularly amused. Since I was trapped inside, I was of little assistance. Panicked, I tried to climb out, over the stuff on the cart so I could try to solve this pinching problem. Big mistake. Now we had avalanching bins of Taryn’s belongings filling every space in the elevator and toppling out the elevator door. And the elevator was BEEPING at us aggressively..like that was going to help. And I was on top of the exploding bins, with Taryn’s belongings oozing out from the bins like a shaken pop can. This was ugly. Tayden was threatening to abandon ship. Nobody even offered to help. It looked like the only elevator may be tied up for a while.

Then, Taryn came upon the scene. She was sent by Travis to check on us. I remember looking upon her as if she was our knight in shining armor. Surely she could help me off the bins and out of the elevator and fix the situation. She said something like, “Seriously MOM!!!” Emboldened by her rally cry, I muddled my way out of the sink hole of stuff and man handled the cart into the elevator as Taryn and Tayden threw random things in beside the cart. My back was on fire. I couldn’t focus with that obnoxious beeping from the elevator door being open too long. And it was embarrassing! Taryn tossed Tayden in the elevator last, grabbed a few things that didn’t fit, and yelled, “I’ll meet you up there!” as she turned and ran up the stairs. I was smashed immobile against the pink and grey avalanche of stuff and was praying that the elevator didn’t break down. We got to her floor and there was a winded Taryn waiting for us. This time, Tayden and Taryn manhandled the cart off the elevator. I don’t think my back would have allowed me to do it again. Tayden was gracious enough to say that it was easier to get out then in. Right! I tossed Taryn’s poor belongings into the hallway as the elevator began beeping at us again. Like we wanted to take that long! At one point, we were all out of the elevator and the doors began to shut with some of Taryn’s stuff still on the elevator. Tayden made a diving save to stop the doors, and Taryn grabbed the remaining items. I’m not sure those people waiting not-so-patiently at the bottom would have enjoyed embarking upon an elevator that was partially full. We sat in the hallway for a while amongst her disheveled belongings trying to recover. People looked at us as though we were a new exhibit in the zoo, before moving on in their own organized way. I was NOT WINNING this move!

We did manage to successfully move Taryn into her room, eventually. I left the dorm with my eyes cast down out of shame. I now realize that being successful and being a WINNER aren’t the same thing. And sometimes being successful is just enough. Last Saturday, it fit the bill.