"she's leaving on a jet plane" a thread for gap year parents!

[iwastooearlytobeayummymummy]

Please come and hold my hand as my DD2 (19) is off on her travels this week and won't be back for 112 days.
She has done her preparations, has good insurance, can speak good enough Spanish ( off to South America) and will be spending a lot of time in Brazil with her lovely Braziilain boyfriend. but My Goodness, I am going to miss her so much.
Please, come and share your DDs and DSs travel tales and help ease my anxieties and share yours.

[socka]

Aw lucky girl, she'll have a blast. Has DD1 traveled or gone to uni? Equally bad to be left with an empty nest as it is the first one going I thought.
Neither of mine has done a gap year but one has the travel bug and did loads in her uni holidays and will be off again in a few weeks. Knowing they're with some one helps, and keeping in touch with email/skype/facebook (the last 2 are beyond me). Travel has always been a big part of our family life and we're just pleased that she enjoys it, feeling jealous rather than worried works for us!

[iwastooearlytobeayummymummy]

thank you socka
the past 2 days have been very busy!
Couldn't help have a little weep as I left her at Heathrow, especially as she asked what do I actually have to do to check in ?(only ever done Ryanair before with a print off in hand)
I am really proud that she has the confidence to do this alone!
DD3 and DS4 are miserable without her but we will skype and I have the honour of being her facebook friend!
But I wasn't helped tonight when i bumped into an old 'friend' who said 'oh God please don't tell me she's going to Bolivia, all those drugs and murders etc etc'.I retorted that DD1 lives in the most crime riven zone in London but is OK
Will feel better when she's arrived and we can talk.
DD1 has not had much wanderlust so this is new situation for me, and I only like travelling when there is a hotel waiting for me

[socka]

Some 'friend'!, if you live in London she's got to be pretty streetwise surely! What is she up to when she lands? Or is she going to wait and see? Hope you get to talk to her soon.
With graduate job opportunities dwindling I think DD1 may be considering a gap year (or 6 months) which will be tough as she's only ever been away for a month at a time before.

[iwastooearlytobeayummymummy]

Socka
sorry not to reply sooner but I put myself into self enforced MN purdah
She's currently on a coach to Argentina, having spent first week or so with her boyfriend and his family in Brazil,
For the next 6 weeks she's off piste so to speak with fairly 'fluid ' plans
thank goodness for skype and facebook and hope I can speak to her soon.
I would definately reccommend your DD1 to do a gap year, but maybe kick off with an intensive language course first?