How would you feel about your 18 year old doing Camp America at the moment?

[HouseontheLeft]

Normally I'd be delighted for any young adult to do Camp America; my sister and my DH each did it when they were teens and had fantastic experiences. It's a great opportunity to go abroad, earn some money, meet people from all over the world, and develop skills.

But with the US in the current political state it is, would you be happy sending your 18 year old over there for summer 2027? It's nine weeks plus potential travel time around the country afterwards, and my concerns range from an error with a visa seeing my teen put in jail (whereas any other country they'd, at worst, just be turned away and sent home), the presence of guns (depending on the camp location, I suppose), wildfires and floods, all the way through to major civil unrest.

Part of me thinks, 'Don't be ridiculous, people travel to the US and other places all the time and just have a great visit,' but the other part of me thinks that I wouldn't have sent a young adult to tour Germany in 1939. History suggests the US is going to be a very tricky place, trickier than it already is, in the next few years.

Can anyone talk any sense into me either way? Thanks in advance.

I think your dd will be fine in some rural backwater playing dodge ball with American kids. What do you think is going to happen? It’s not 1930s Germany. Or anything near it. Most Americans are just living their lives, not embroiled in Trump-world.

You've not been reading the news this week have you?

Well my 18 year old who is very adventurous and would normally love to do something like that, hates Trump and finds what happening in the US really worrying, so like me and his dad he would refuse to travel there at the moment anyway.

My friend's daughter did it this summer. She was worried, but her daughter had a great time, and to be fair, it seems to have done her the world of good re expanding her world, being more thoughtful towards others, and being happier to take steps out into the world of being a grown up. She was a real homebody and ND, but it was her idea to try. She even did some travelling afterwards with friends she made, and she was never a great friend maker.

Dd has always wanted to do Camp America. We are now looking at Camp Canada for obvious reasons. I would not support her going to the USA atm.

DD or DS? I wouldn’t send either really given the political climate but I definitely wouldn’t send a daughter of childbearing age. The lack of medical care in pregnancy situations is terrifying and I wouldn’t want her to take the risk.

Don’t be ridiculous.

DD has done Camp America recently. She was evacuated from camp in the summer due to the smoke from Canadian wildfires, but it was all managed very well. And she was hours from civilisation in her camp, the biggest worry was bears.
Visa wise, Camp America run a good proccess and if you follow their instructions to the letter, problems are unlikely. And if you are worried, fly from Dublin, DC can do US immigration there and the worst that will happen is that they'll get handed back to Irish airport staff.

Look at camp Canada, my son did it last year - lots of opportunities

I would be very unhappy with my young adult dd going to the US right now, but ultimately she's an adult and it would be her decision.

That said, she can see what's happening and she wouldn't touch it with a bargepole in any case.

I'd also look at Canada. A friend's kids did that a few years ago and had the best time.

My friend's daughter went this year and had an absolute ball, the time of her life. He was a bit worried about her going to the US for many reasons, but all went well.

@turkeyboots that's good advice to maybe fly from Dublin, my friend's daughter flew from there (we are in Ireland). And she saw bears at the camp!

Yes, or Shannon. My sister did this with her kids as the queueing is easier, and especially when you're not off the back of a long flight.

Friend's dd was in Maine, and as said, had a great time. She's pondering doing it again this summer.

@Ohnoitsfinallyhappened @Hairyfairy01 I didn't know about Camp Canada, thanks, will send that over.

@murasaki DC is already very sociable and confident, so this isn't necessarily a life-changing chance to open them up, but I think it's always good for people to travel as much as they can or they want.

@Screamingabdabz @Cardhey It would be nice to look back in twenty years and realise I was very wrong in my feelings about where America is heading at the moment, but historically, there's very little to suggest that will happen. Genuinely, here's hoping I am wrong, though.

I would avoid the USA for safety and moral reasons.

Canada could be a good shout. batshit in its own way but generally less to worry about.

I am American and would not send my child to the US if I had any say over it.

I'd be entirely unworried about the travel if your child is a white British citizen, but more worried if they are non-white or had any recorded illegal US overstays.

Where I live I'm surrounded by camps staffed by lots of 18 year olds from places like the UK. In terms of camp life - ticks, bears, and coyotes are a bigger risk than guns, but I still wouldn't be particularly worried as the camp will be prepared for dealing with those.

I'm not worried about civil unrest, wildfires, flooding etc.

I agree that flying via Dublin is a good idea.

I think it’s quite insulting to compare it to 1939 Germany!

We’re far more likely to be attacked with drones or the like than the US! We’ve not got the same capability to stop/prevent them as they do, our closer proximity to the country’s that would like to hurt us and do on.

The gun thing isn’t new so that’s a moot point.

And they’re hardly going to be put in jail unless they commit a crime now are they?!

I wouldn't send anybody I cared about to the US at the moment and that is apart from the morality of being any part of the place.

Canada is much nicer, safer and very beautiful.

DS did it this last summer and is open to going again next summer. America is a big place and Camp America is exceptionally well established. I also have family in the US and am American myself, so I guess I have fewer concerns than others. Not to say that I think your Trump concerns are unfounded - he's definitely creating turmoil. If you're this concerned, I'd review Camp Canada, but I will say Camp America was a great experience for my painfully shy, autistic son.

My step daughter just returned from CA. A good experience but they exploit the workers and she was on duty almost 24/7 for $1.20: hour
check conditions and contract !!!!!

There is not a cat in hell’s chance I, or anyone I love would be going to the USA for any reason at all right now.

Camp Canada all the way!

In case you have not worked it out yet, next year is going to look VERY different to previous years.

'My daughter did it and it was amazing', isn't what it used to be unfortunately. What's gone before is very nice but it was in a period of stability. That's gone. It's going to take a while for the penny to drop on this properly for a lot of people.

I would be paying very close attention to the next few weeks and months. There are big things happening which ARE going to have impacts throughout the world.

There is a MASSIVE political shift in progress and there are a number of very significant issues for the next 12 months. Don't underestimate the implications.

I would certainly definitely not be committing to any trip to the US prior to knowing the outcome of the US Midterms and Trump's reaction to that. The political fallout potential is enormous.

Tensions between the US and Europe have also shot up due to the fact Europeans aren't doing exactly what Trump wants. Trump is spiteful and petty.

Yes I do think the world has changed very significantly over the last couple of months. No I don't think most people have grasped it or what that means for everyone yet. The geopolitics of oil, US/Russian relationships, US domestic stability, the stability of the dollar, US / UK relations, where we get food from, the availability and cost of food, medicine and other goods are undergoing a BIG shake up. Most people are not grasping that next year has a number of factors which are now locked in which mean 2027 will be a very turbulent year indeed.

That's without reflection on guns nor abortion control.

I would absolutely be looking at alternatives as a result.

If DS was thinking about the US next year, I'd be steering him elsewhere. Not necessarily saying don't do something but I would definitely be keen to avoid the US. And I am very much of the mindset that we need to carry on living rather than crawling under a rock.

Trump is simply too unstable to take anything for granted right now. And that's really really sad to have to say.

Mine did it this year and had the absolute time of her life. It was just the best thing she has ever done. I really didn’t worry about her in the slightest and her camp was very left leaning. She has made friends for life