DS has quit his job to go travelling with a girl he just met

You either go travelling like this when you are young or you have to wait for retirement!

It’s obviously much better to do it when you are fitter and younger without responsibilities!

My Husband and I toyed with the idea of doing this after Uni and volunteering for part of the year with VSO - but as we were not married back then, they couldn’t guarantee that we could get a placement together! So we bottled it and worked instead, and now we won’t be able to do it until we are 68 at the earliest!

I think your Son is making the right decision, just make sure he always has enough money to get a flight home if needed!

I am very risk adverse and scared of my own shadow.
I wish I had half as much courage as him at that age.
He's still young, now is the time to do it, love, lose and live life. What's the worst that happens, he comes home to his welcoming family and starts where he left off? But with many memories!!

You absolutely must let, or even outright encourage your DS to go on this trip.

He may have met the love of his life or the relationship could end badly, either way it will be a learning process he'll benefit from going through.

Whatever he does, support him.

Well this has become quite the 'cancel the cheque' thread hasn't it?

I think its great news he has a new girlfriend and an opportunity to travel. He's only 24, he might get another chance to do something like this.

I think it sounds amazing…. And exactly what young people should be doing. You should make sure you support him. I think you should be proud of him.

As for his job there will be plenty of work for him when he returns. My DH is a Civil Engineering manager and he can never find enough graduate engineers.

They don't usually ask, just smuggle it into someone else's bag

Great he's going travelling. It'll be a brilliant experience. He needs to be vigilant with his bags though. It's a thing. I don't care how much some are scoffing, I wouldn't carry excess baggage for such a new partner in SE Asia and central America. Not a risk worth taking

That’s such a lovely post@agoodfriendofthethree

I met a guy on the other side of the world when I was backpacking 25 years ago. We immediately hit it off and very quickly decided to change our plans for the rest of our trips so that we could travel the world together for a few extra months. I really appreciated that my parents didn't freak out and they trusted me to make my own decisions (even though I was much younger than your son). As a parent now, I'm not sure I'd be as calm if it was my child 😂 We've now been married for 20 years and still have our love of travelling (as do our kids). Your son sounds great and you sound like a really caring mum - no doubt you'll worry, but I think it sounds like a brilliant adventure that will be great for him even if his relationship doesn't work out long term.

Well thanks for taking yourself back to 1992 and interpreting my parents feelings for me but you are completely incorrect. They wanted me to do as they did and work in a job I hated for 30 years because it was secure. I don’t think they were worried, just annoyed.

I’m now a parent of one, soon to be two, young adults. Of course I give them sensible advice about safety and stay in touch when they are not at home. But that’s different to being paranoid and joyless as so many on MN are.

My brother did this at 25. He was living in London, with a good job and packed it all in to take a year out and go travelling around Australia

That was 40 years ago.

Met and married his wife, 3 kids and 4 grandkids.

All doing really well

In fact his son did pretty much the same in reverse. Did a years travelling in his early 20s, came and worked in London for a year. Met his now wife whilst travelling and they have now settled back in Australia

DRUGS & SMUGGLING!!!!

Agree make sure very comprehensive travel insurance, vaccinations and visa requirements checked

Good on him

Drugs for one thing

A world away from the NHS as zero credit cards or documentation required.

I’m sure very few have been carrying them unwittingly. They claim that so they don’t have to name names.

@remaker In general I agree with everything you have said with the exception of "whatever horrors mumsnet can dream up" If the situations you refer to never happened there would be no need to be prepared and warn young people to be diligent every step of the way.

Perhaps the negativity your parents presented you with was their way of saying you can't be too careful & please be aware 'horrors' can and do happen.To suggest to young people who haven't experienced life they can spread their wings in a carefree manner without a care in the world is living in fantasy land. They need to be equipped to deal with all possibilities. If parents are rebuked because they are trying to highlight what can go wrong sobeit. I'd prefer that than the guilt I'd feel if I was to be confronted with problems I didn't warn them about.

@ilosttheracoonjack - do you really not know why not to carry people's luggage?

At 24 I took voluntary redundancy from a job I’d had for 3 years since graduating Uni and went backpacking for a year. My parents were so negative about it and warned me I’d struggle to get another ‘good’ job.

I had the time of my life and found a better job in my dream industry when I returned. I’m Australian and employers are used to young people travelling.

It impacted my relationship with my parents that they had so little faith in me and refused to be happy or supportive.

He’s 24, I’m sure he’s mature enough not to get recruited by drug gangs or whatever horrors MN can dream up.

Years ago now but we were at an airport in Turkey and a dear little old grandma figure came up to us asking if we could help her as she'd "got too much stuff with all the presents she'd bought" could we take some of her stuff through as ours....🤔

It happens OP. Of course your son didn't mean that re carrying GF's excess baggage. Chances are GF isn't an international drug runner..... BUT, people are, and as he doesn't actually know her well.....

Their luggage will checked at all ports/airports/borders - he WILL be held responsible for anything found in his luggage.

He might think you are being dramatic, you might think it's being dramatic but getting him to understand the above might just save him from a truly awful experience.....

Sounds like a great idea and time. He is still young and at the start of his career. Perfect time to go travelling.

He may have been considering it and meeting her was the push he needed.

Well yes, as long as they don't come home with their begging bucket because they can't afford their rent

I can completely understand being apprehensive. You’re his mum, it’s your job to worry even if he is an adult!

Reading your OP, all I can think is how incredible that opportunity is. He’s young, go for it.