How to Help Your Loved Ones Get Comfortable with Your Long-Term Travel Plans

In many parts of the world, it is a common practice to take a gap year, travel to other countries, and experience the backpacking culture. It is generally accepted and usually encouraged by parents to do so. Growing up in The United States, I cannot say this pertains. With only 36% of American’s holding a valid passport, it’s fair to say that we do not have the same ideology about traveling as other cultures do. This became quite apparent when I originally expressed my traveling plans with my family, particularly, my father. I’m an only child and my mother passed away when I was very young, so our father-daughter bond is extremely precious and important. I can’t exactly blame him for not wanting me to fly half way across the world with a one way ticket and no exact date of when I would be returning. But, I knew it was something he could eventually come to terms with, especially after seeing how happy it was making me. I imagine that others have faced a similar situation with their family and wanted to find a way to make them more comfortable with their plans. Here are a few tips that I’ve learned along the way:

1.) Be completely open and honest with why you want to travel in the first place- I think this is the most important and effective step, for good reason. This is where you can openly discuss why you are making such a big, life altering decision, and you can help them understand why it is for the better! If traveling is your passion and it’s what will ultimately make you a happy, fulfilled person, than no one can argue with that. And at the end of the day, as much as your family may show disapproval, all they really want for you is happiness. If your situation is anything like mine was, you can point out some important key factors as to why this may be the right time or the only time in your life to make this dream a reality. For me personally, I was not yet fully immersed in a career, I was single, no children, in my late 20’s, not yet a property or pet owner, and all my debt/college loans were paid off or very close to it. I used these examples to show that this was indeed the right time in my life to make this trip happen and once some of these factors in my life changed, that may no longer stand true. This is not to say that if your case is different then traveling is completely out the window. It just means that you need to come up with some factors relating to your own life to show them that this is your time.

2.) Do your research- One of the number one reasons that family members may show disapproval is because of their concern for your safety. By doing some research on the different places, or general part of the world you plan on traveling to, you can ease their mind. Give them some information on the safety statistics of the areas. Point out some important travel safety rules that you plan to stick to. My number one rule is to never, ever, ever, walk by myself at night, especially after having a few drinks. Another good one is to keep your passport and bulk of your money locked up at your accommodation; there is no reason to walk around with important documents or more than the money you will need for an average daily outing.  There is a big misconception that our world is a dangerous, scary place, and everyone is out to get you, especially if you are an obvious tourist. And not to say that bad situations don’t take place (because, unfortunately they do) but this cannot be farther from the truth. Our world is beautiful, filled with incredible, helpful people, and no one should allow fear to stop them from experiencing it.

3.) Keep the communication going strong- My father is super old school. He doesn’t have a cellphone or computer, just a landline. Which means no texting, FaceTime, or internet connection in general. But that doesn’t stop us from regular communication even while I’m half way around the world. Before leaving for your trip, it is important to have a specific time set out that you will regularly speak to your loved ones, and make sure to keep this a priority. For example, my father and I have agreed on Monday evenings for me, which translates to Monday mornings for him. The one time I missed our weekly call there was panic, and this is something to be avoided at all costs. Also, being the writer that I am, I love sending postcards to my friends and family whenever I get to a new destination. My father will receive one on average, twice a month. Lastly, I keep everyone in my life regularly updated through social media by posting once a day to Facebook and Instagram. (If you would like to keep up with my journey on Instagram, please feel free to follow me @ carlymarie_travelwithme).

What are some pointers you have found to be useful when helping your family to become comfortable with your travels? Please leave your suggestions in the comments. Happy travels!