Sara Koh
Entering your 20s can be a little daunting to some; it’s a period of transition from being a teen to adult.
One thing we struggle to balance is the new found freedom that has suddenly fallen on our laps. We get to stay out really late, we get our first taste of alcohol and are asked to go on travel vacations with our friends. Our parents don’t exercise their authority as much as they did when we were younger and at this stage of our lives, they shouldn’t stop us from travelling with our friends—as much as they like to lament about how unsafe it is.
Travelling without your parents for the first time can be a tad uncomfortable but the feeling of accomplishment you get from it, well that’s a feeling like no other.
When I was in secondary school, I went on my first School Overseas Trip and it was the first time I was getting on a plane sans parents. Although I was sooooo excited, I was absolutely nerve-wrecked. Fast forward to our last day on the trip, I was sitting on the chartered bus in Kyushu and I remember thinking to myself; oh my God. I did it. I actually enjoyed the heck out of myself and I managed to do so many things I probably never would if my parents were there. I went on to travel without my parents in the years that followed and I never looked back.
So if you’re edging towards your 20s (or you’ve already passed that mark— oops) and you haven’t travelled somewhere alone or without your parents, you have to do it.
Do what YOU want to do
When you travel without your parents, you’re free from all the constraints that your protective parents would impose on you. You’re able to go to the places you want to go, do the things that you want to do.
I mean, let’s face it – unless your parents are really cool, there are bound to be some things that you just won’t do when you travel with them. Without your parents over-eager watchful eyes, you can dive into exciting adventures that young travellers embrace – go backpacking, stay in hostels, stay out all night, try out adrenaline activities, and turn strangers into friends.
Step out of your comfort zone
When you travel without your parents, you’ll be much more daring to push your boundaries, to see how far you can go when stepping out of your comfort zone.
You will be entirely alone in a completely new environment – new language, new customs, new culture. You have to live without the comforts of home, and you won’t have the ever-familiar parental figures to seek comfort from when faced with a daunting situation.
Make things happen, yourself
You’re diving in head first when it comes to exploring new places and encountering new people without having somebody to hide behind. Nobody’s going to lay out the table nicely for you to just have you sit and eat without any consequence or responsibility. You have to ask for the things you want, find ways to get it on your own and by your own means.
When you do this, the feeling of accomplishment is so great that it dulls out all the other small victories that you’ve collected along the way like waking up to your own alarm than relying on your mother to. And nobody is going to bail you out if you get yourself into trouble. Let’s hope it never gets to that point.
But in the event that you do, you learn how to settle them yourself. This is a skill that you’re going to need when you enter adulthood. And you’re going to be using it pretty often.
Get a feeling like no other
When you realise you are finally on your own and you have no one to depend on, it comes like a shock to your system. And each time you remember that and you see the consequences of your own actions like discovering new places by yourself, you realise that hey, you actually like this feeling! It’s an addictive thrill. Plus, think about all the crazy travel memories that you’ll make while on your great big adventure!
When you travel without your parents, you irrevocably grow up. You’re on your own.
And it’s about time for that.
The time will soon come when your parents have no more jurisdiction over the things you do and the decisions you make. And the time will soon come when you have to make life-changing choices on your own – you can’t rely on your parents for much anymore. The time will soon come when you learn how to live your own life; a life that you can call your own.
The time starts now.
