Is college graduation and a real job the parental finish line? Is there a parental finish line? My family is entering a new phase with my son moving out to LA this week. Connor just graduated from Mizzou with dual degrees in International Business and French. Next week, he’ll enter the Management Training Program at the corporate headquarters of Toyota of North America.

It was bittersweet to see him tweeting about his flight to LA as he left O’Hare with the hashtags #onewayticket, #cityofangels and #cya. Now I know how my parents felt when I left for my first real TV news job on a one-way ticket to Hong Kong. My husband and I could not be prouder of Connor. He can speak French, play the piano and he’s quick to respond in all categories when we watch Jeopardy! (In the form of a question, of course.) I especially love that he’s a formidable opponent in Scrabble and Words With Friends.

Connor actually earned his first paycheck and even paid taxes as a baby. We got him into modeling when we lived in NYC and he worked pretty steadily for a few years. But he has never cared for a career on camera or in journalism. I’m glad he found a field to be excited and passionate about. It’s how I still feel about new media and covering the news.

If there is a parental finish line, my husband and I have yet to clear it. We still have a teenage daughter in high school to remind us we have more college tuition and bills in our future. As for our number one son, he will have lived in New York, Chicago and LA at the age of 22. What a cool hat trick.