Gap Year Travels

[Nix32]

DS finishes A levels this summer and is planning on some travelling - a month on a volunteer program and a month in a different country working.

All very exciting, but also terrifying. How do you cope?

How’s he funding? Sounds expensive!!

Be Real/Instagram and track my phone. And the very occasional text hone call and a reasonable number of texts. The time goes by and they come home. Warn them about motorbikes and home made alcohol. Very exciting.

For funding mine worked fir a good number of months first.

*Very occasional phone call
*for
need to proof read!

@Betterbyfar The job he’ll get paid for, the volunteer program will be paid for from his savings.

@HighlightsInHerHairIt’s the dangers that terrify me! So many things to warn him about! Did yours benefit from it?

Ds went to New Zealand. We did not use or want a tracking app. He messaged most days just a hi etc and did d a video call once a week. He found a job etc. he was there for 5 months. He was totally independent, made his own choices and traveled around. It was hard having him so far away but we got used to it and he had a fantastic time. You just have to trust them, make sure they have good insurance and believe all will be ok.

I’m impressed an 18 year old has got paid employment for a month in a foreign country!

What paid employment has he secured?

Yes he had a fantastic time and had to be independent. I guess when something happens to a backpacker it gets in the news and scares us but it’s rare and things happen in the UK too.

@ApearlybumSeasonal work in Lapland. Very exciting!

My dd is in Australia at the moment, I’m finding it really difficult tbh. My anxiety is through the roof.

Im drinking lots of chamomile tea.

do people seriously track teens while they are abroad? I am certain that is going to make any parent wildly more anxious - as you will constantly be checking.

We all went as teens (people now in our 40s) - and it was phone boxes or letters home.

Honestly at this point you need to let go - he is old enough to make independent decisions, share sensible plans ahead of leaving, make a clear budget and then off he goes!

I didn’t check constantly and wasn’t wildly anxious. I just liked knowing were in the world he was. We still have it now tbh and he is at uni. If he is in the library I don’t ring him. I don’t sit up at night wondering when he is going home from a night out etc. If he is driving home I can see how far he has got. I recently started location sharing with my parents too. It’s useful.