My 3 kids are all enrolled at the same college. Knowing they're together helps, but I'm still struggling with my empty nest.

The author (second from left) is still adjusting to her empty nest now that her three kids are in college.

Courtesy of Cheryl Maguire My youngest kid just enrolled at the same college my older twins attend.

The fact that three of them are together brings me joy, but I'm struggling with my empty nest.

I've booked a trip and plan to hang out with other empty nesters to ease my transition.

When I tell people that my youngest daughter is attending the same college as her older twin siblings, I always hear some variation of these questions: Did they always want to go to the same college? Are you happy you only need to do one drop-off? Are you getting a buy 2 get 1 free discount? The answer is no, yes, and I wish! The reaction people have had to them all attending the same school reminds me of when my twins were babies.

People were fascinated and had lots of questions.

Even though I am happy that they will have each other at Fordham University in New York, the transition has been hard for me.

They have only been there a few weeks, and I have FOMO every time I talk to them.

But this is all part of my transition into an empty nester .

Preparation didn't help For the past year, I've been trying to mentally prepare for the time when all three kids will be in college.

Anytime my youngest was at one of her many after-school activities , I would think, "This is what it's going to be like." I even went on my first solo trip to start to get used to the idea of being without my kids.

But as the name empty nest implies, there's an indescribable emptiness that is different from when she was living at home.

Even though she was busy, she was always at home at night.

She acts in musical theater, so she was always belting out songs at home.