Backpacking in Europe....So Upset!!

[noseybuddy]

My DS just graduated from high school this past June. He just turned 18 this past August. A friend of his applied to a music college and did not get in, so he will apply again next year. So in the meantime he is going to backpack in Europe and my DS is going with him. I am so upset. He is leaving this Sunday with a one way ticket. I feel like I have lost my DS. I am so worried that he will not be safe. Has anyone experienced this or know of anyone who has and can share some info. How safe is it, what's it like, etc?

 

[Carl]

It is great fun and will be a wealth of experience for him. Just get him a T-Mobile quad band phone and tell him to keep contact with you. Will only cost 99 cents a minute to talk to you and he can call you from almost anywhere - even the top of mountains.

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

I feel your pain noseybuddy....but if I have one regret in my life, it is the fact that I didn't backpack in Europe after graduation when a bunch of my friends did!

I'm sure he'll have a great time.

The only thing is the one-way ticket. Make sure he has a plan to get home when he is ready to return.

 

[noseybuddy]

I .

The only thing is the one-way ticket. Make sure he has a plan to get home when he is ready to return.

That's what scares me the most. It's almost like he doesn't plan on returning.

 

[Briarmom]

I feel your pain noseybuddy....but if I have one regret in my life, it is the fact that I didn't backpack in Europe after graduation when a bunch of my friends did!

I'm sure he'll have a great time.

The only thing is the one-way ticket. Make sure he has a plan to get home when he is ready to return.

This is one of my biggest regrets in life. Second only to not finishing college before having a family.
It will be a GREAT experience. I have been to Paris and London now (both times I've backpacked), and am planning a trip to Europe somewhere for the whole family.

The one-way ticket is neccessary. If you buy a ticket that is more than 30 days span, the price doubles at least.
He will return.
Just think of the great experiences!

 

[rie'smom]

That's what scares me the most. It's almost like he doesn't plan on returning.

Maybe he doesn't want to be tied to a return date. As hard as it is to let go,we have to.I have 2 sons 30 and 22 and it's been very hard. Both lived away from home- 1 in a foreign country. It's a great learning experience and can help a person to mature.
On the other hand,you might be surprised at how fast your son might decide to return. Kids talk big but they are still tied to their parents-more so than most want to admit.
My advice is don't have a conniption-let him go. He'll be back.

 

[Lanie]

Do not worry. My bestfriend backpacked through Europe with a friend 2 years ago, and she said it was amazing! As for the 1 way ticket, do not worry... the same friend just went to Thailand, and she changed her return ticket the second day as she thought she was staying way too long... and would have changed it again after a couple days if she would have known how much she would enjoy that country! It sounds to me like your son is being smart, and realised that he will figure out how long he wants to stay once he gets there...

Plus they are 2, which is very safe...

I hope your son has a great trip!

 

[Keli]

I'm thinking the ticket is a necessary thing too, not just the price consideration but also the time frame. On a trip like that I wouldn't want to commit myself to a leave date that I might really wish to change once into the trip. Has your ds said anything to make you feel like he's looking to move to europe?

 

[RadioNate]

I'm another one who totally regrets not backpacking through Europe after HS or even college.

My life fell apart after HS so it didn't happen then.

After college I was in such a hurry to get married and then DS came and now I'm sure it'll never happen.

He'll be fine, he will learn so much about the world and himself while making memories to last a life time. We should all be so lucky to have that experience.

 

[noseybuddy]

. Has your ds said anything to make you feel like he's looking to move to europe?

No not really, just a feeling i have. Maybe I am worrying too much.

 

[Beth76]

I'm sorry you're unhappy about this but--yay for your son!!! I think it's a great opportunity that he can only do now. And I agree with the others, a one way ticket is just the way to do it. He might arrive in London but want to leave from Athens. It doesn't mean he's not coming back. It's just smart travel. As long as he has a good head on his shoulders, he'll be fine. Tell him to send you a postcard anytime he arrives in a new country or major city.

 

[wendy46001]

give him a big hug and buy him a bunch of phone cards....my mother still has the messages we left on her answering machine...Backpacking is the best, and its very safe....you meet lots of people and gain a whole new out look on life....

and don’t worry about the one way ticket...lots of airlines just aren’t flexible with return dates and locations...I once had to spend 8hrs on a train to get back to Paris because my airline would not let me leave from Italy....

He'll have a ball...if you really concerned set up specific dated for him to check in on....

 

[noseybuddy]

Well, DH just bought him a new cell phone, will arrive tomorrow, so I feel a little better knowing I can contact him easily. Thanks everyone, I am starting to feel a little better about it. I know this will be a great experience for him, and I know this is the time in his life that he should do it, but I worry.

 

[Tink42]

Hi,

I know how you feel. My DD decided to backpack thru Europe with a friend between 1st and 2nd year of university. She was 19. I was very worried about them but they kept in touch. If she called me, I would phone her friend's mom and let her know they had called and vice versa, so we were informed on how they were doing about every 3 or 4 days.

She came back from Europe a very independent/self-sufficient person. It has been one of the best things she has done.

 

[ozarkmom]

One of my favorite movies is An American Werewolf in London. I'm sorry it just made me think of it.

 

[Redbudlover]

I spent two months in my mid twenties traveling Europe- it was the best time of my whole life - and I have traveled extensively since then. My brother did the backpack after HS and loved it. the hardest thing I ever did was take my son to the train station in Beijing and put him on a train he planned to stay on across the continent with stops in St. petersburg and then London. I was terrified. It was pre cell phone time.

Definitely get him a phone with the sim card so he can call you. ( my son called me five times the first day he was in Korea and he was 22!!!) And make sure you have the cash to get him home. this will be a trip he will never forget - and he will grow and mature.

 

[noseybuddy]

I spent two months in my mid twenties traveling Europe- it was the best time of my whole life - and I have traveled extensively since then. My brother did the backpack after HS and loved it. the hardest thing I ever did was take my son to the train station in Beijing and put him on a train he planned to stay on across the continent with stops in St. petersburg and then London. I was terrified. It was pre cell phone time.

Definitely get him a phone with the sim card so he can call you. ( my son called me five times the first day he was in Korea and he was 22!!!) And make sure you have the cash to get him home. this will be a trip he will never forget - and he will grow and mature.

They hardly have any money between the two of them, and they don't even seem worried. I do expect to get a phone call asking me to get him home.

 

[stopgo]

I know your heart is breaking (my folks felt the same way when I headed off to foriegn lands) but this really will be a defining event in your son's life. Not many people get an opportunity to broaden their horizons so profoundly but I can assure you that when he comes home (and he WILL come home... no one can stay away from Mom too long) you'll see that an amazing change has occurred; and one that you'll be proud of.

My only suggestion is that you head to the US State Department's website http://www.state.gov/ and bookmark it. Have your son let you know what his itinerary/plans are and get contact info for the American Embassy and/or Consulate in each country from that website. Also, make sure you have a photocopy of his passport and driver's license before he leaves.

 

[padams]

DH backpacked around the world for a year during his college days. He had very little money but managed to get by and have a fabulous time. YOur son will learn and experience so much. What a wonderful opportunity. My parents, who were paying for my college, made me go straight through school I was never allowed to take any time off. By the time I was in grad school, I was so burned out on being a student. The people in my grad school class who had taken time off generally did much better in school and were more well adjusted. They knew they really wanted to be back in school.

Be sure that your son's cell phone will work in Europe.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Sounds cool to me!!! Sorry about losing your baby, but I am sure he will be fine!