Bah, I'm gonna go ahead and vent a little, and if any of you could give me advice, or comfort me I'd really appreciate it.
My friend is getting married at the end of July, so I was going to stick around for the wedding, then go on a 1.5 month backpack trip through Europe. It would put me into September, and so I would have to defer from college for a semester. (I would go earlier, and get back in time for college but I think my friend would be very hurt if I didn't get to his wedding)... So I'm considering shortening the trip to like 3-4 weeks, and making it back in time for school
(deffering from school was kinda a bonus of the trip.)
Okay, well I've been planning this for a couple months now, and I broke the news to my dad about 2 weeks ago. He told me it sounded like fun, but now was not the time in my life to do it/ it's too dangerous to travel by yourself. "Wait until you graduate, and go afterwards." I think he thinks I'll lose interest and won't go if he can get me to wait till I graduate (several years away). He made it clear that he didn't think it was a good idea, but conceded that he cannot stop me from going.
Well, today I broke the news to him that I intend to buy my airline ticket this week, and he was VERY surprised, and angry. He went off on how dangerous Europe is, and he doesn't want me traveling alone, "I DONT WANT YOU TO GO!" He told me that he has been to Europe before and would never go back... I said, "well that's becasue the way you traveled was too expensive + plus the group you were with was annoying... I'll have neither of those problems" (I've told my dad hundreds of kids backpack Europe, I won't really be alone, I'll meet new people + Europe isn't a warzone... gall, he is so conservative it's crazy) My dad told me he would rather I joined the military and went to Iraq than go to Europe by myself
But I have to admit, this trip is a little out of character for me (I'm not one to go on big adventures like this) Unfortunately my dad's lack of support (I could never hope to convince my mom) has got me thinking. "Maybe I shouldn't go." I've got no problem being on my own, and I've read up a ton about backpackers going through Europe, but I am SO scared. I really have no clue what to expect. I have these wonderful fantasies of how cool it's going to be, but I also try to think about it realistically... a foreign land, no friends, no clue where anything is. Things could get bad quick, I suppose.
But I so want to do this, lol. The roller coaster ride I have been doing for the past couple months has got to stop. One minute I'm so excited about the trip I want to leave that very minute, the next minute, well, I'll be thinking about post-poning it indeffinately.
Cliff Notes:
1. Timing of my trip would make have to defer from school for a semester, or shorten it considerabely.
2. My parents complete lack of support is a little discouraging (I haven't really told anyone else I'm even going on this trip... I'm waiting until it's a little closer)
3. I'm nervous/scared because I have no clue what to expect, and I'm not sure I'll be able to find everything I need to find in order to survive. I don't want to get stranded, or hurt in some totally random place.
please advise (sorry about the long whiny story, but thanks for looking :P)
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