DD wants to go travelling but hates travelling and being away from home!!

[789vghu8]

My DD is 19 and she has decided she wants to go travelling. A year ago there is absolutely know way she would have even entertained this idea and I still can't quite understand why she wants to do it as she has severe anxiety, hates travelling!!!!!, has no interest in any type of culture, hates walking and hates sleeping away from home or even being out of the house for any length of time. She also hates people, going out and socialising!!!!!!!! she decided against uni for these very reasons!

She has friends who have just got back from travelling and loves the vibes of their insta and tick tocks.

In one respect this idea is great and will be fantastic for her confidence. I have never seen her excited for anything since before covid.

She currently works in hospitality and wants to work till about May then quit her job and go to Fuji, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong. She has found a company or a few companies where they do the organising for you (these have been recommended by friends who have just come back) and she is about to book it now.

She is so enthusiastic and has planned it all out but how can somebody who hates travelling, and being away from home even entertain this idea.

I can't stop her though can I!!!!

DD (who is autistic and has ADHD and sounds a lot like your DD) has just come back from travelling round Hong Kong and Aus. Massively massively challenging for her but she really wanted to do it and that made all the difference. Also having control over her own destiny completely was important.

Your DD really should do a warm up trip (DD had a week’s camping - again her idea - in the UK beforehand). This will help reassure you both. She has to organise all of it: jabs, visas, how to get from place to place. Give her an emergency credit card. Make sure she has a copy of Lonely Planet for the places she’s going. She can always come home if it’s too much.

It’s so so hard, OP, to let them go when they seem so unsuited to it. But you probably need this as much as she does.

@789vghu8

If your son is diagnosed it's extremely likely she is too. It's much harder to spot in girls.
I'd pursue this for her sake as life will be easier long term if she knows.

It's also extremely likely you or your dh are too.

Only since my dd was diagnosed I start to think I am too as is my dad Probably my mum and my dh

Birds of a feather flock together.

Sounds good, just assume she is doing it as asking too many questions or forcing her to do too much now as a "test" is obviously going to stress her out and make it seem like you don't believe in her. Fake it till you make it

I know lots of young people I supported in my work who suddenly went to Japan/ did teaching English abroad and it was the making of them. I supported them by planning itineraries together, watching YouTube videos of people walking through the cities they were planning to go to, trying local food where we could etc to get a sample of the culture. It was really fun! I'd suggest the same. Make it exciting. She can do this!

Look on reddit for potential itineraries, reviews of flights and travel companies and there will be Facebook groups for the travel companies for her to join to make friends.