sammon, we are in a similar boat, but my son is going from Baltimore, way south to Florida. I have another who goes to South Carolina and here's what we've doen and are doing as far as distance goes.

When our son entered sophomore year, we ordered his furniture from Pier One and made sure they had it in his town in the south. They delivered it the day my husband delivered him to school. It worked beautifully. The apartment he rents is for 12 months so all but what he needs in the summer stays. It's costly, but half the price for an apartment in his southern town than in Baltimore.

For the one who is going to Florida, we are taking only what he needs as far as clothes and personal items and buying the rest when we get there. Like Blondi said, They have all kinds of stores wherever they go so why buy and lug?

Another tip: we charge our kid's tuitions with air mile credit cards and pay them immediately. So instead of paying the college, we pay the bank. Then they fly home for holidays and we fly to see them for free with our frequent flyer miles. It reaaly helps.

I also recommend a family paln for phones. We can, and do talk FREE cell to cell any time of the night or day.

Hope this helps. We'll be empty nesters in the fall. Hope you stick around! I think we'll need one another.