There’s a packing list when you send your kid to college. You can find these in stores that market back-to-school or dorm supplies. Your college might even send one out to you-- I know mine did. They suggested a fan, a shower caddy, school supplies, luggage or plastic totes, shower shoes, towels, a complete first aid kit, personal care items, bedding, laundry supplies, a mini-fridge, a trash can, a TV, a lamp, power strips, a rug and clothes, of course. That’s it. That’s your typical college list.

But moms know more than a piece of paper written by the residence life staff of your college. Your mom has loved you since she first knew you were coming. She’s the one you ask to help you find your missing left black dress shoe before your big concert or your lucky pair of socks before your big game. This woman knows everything about you. She knows exactly what you need to not feel so homesick when you’re away from home for pretty much the first time in your life.

My mom sent me to college with 56 cans of Coca-Cola. She also sent most of the items on the list... okay probably all of the items. But the most important thing she sent me to school with was the 56 cans of Coca-Cola. That was the special item she knew I needed with me at college.

I pretty much only drink five things-- water, hot chocolate, red Gatorade, Coca-Cola and Sierra-Mist. I don’t drink much else. Sometimes I’ll have apple juice, orange juice or chocolate milk. But, I pretty much stick to those five things. I drink water all the time and it’s pretty much easy to get water anywhere in the United States. Gatorade is also pretty easy to get on a Division One campus. After all, athletes basically live off Gatorade, right? The hot chocolate is a hit-or-miss, so we picked up some packets of instant mix, but I got lucky because we have a delicious hot chocolate machine in the dining hall. We knew the Sierra-Mist would easily be attainable, but that was because we knew the Coca-Cola would not be attainable. You see, my school is sponsored by Pepsi. That means that getting a drink of the competitor’s soda would not be possible.

In order to solve that problem, my mom sent me to college with 56 cans of Coca-Cola. She knows that on most nights I stay up late and wake up when my alarm goes off. That, on good nights, I get between 7-8 hours of sleep and on bad nights I get between 5-6 hours of sleep. She knows that I wake up in the middle of the night more often that I sleep through the whole night. She knows that no matter how many comfy blankets and pillows she gets for me to sleep with or how many fans she buys me to keep me cool, that I most likely never get a good night of sleep. That I need caffeine to get me through some of my toughest days and that I’ll never touch a cup of coffee.

My mom couldn’t send my dogs with me to college, nor could she send any of the people I love to college with me. She couldn’t send me with any instant best friends to have someone to eat all of my meals with or someone that would play games with me while everyone else is out partying. But she could make sure that I had all of the things she thought I needed to have with me. She could make sure that I had enough Coca-Cola to provide me with caffeine during my tired days and an extra drink choice that I actually like.

Every time I open up my mini-fridge and see the red cans or look under my bed to grab something and see the containers the cans come in, I remember how lucky I am to have one of the most amazing moms.