Today I was thinking a lot about how people react when you tell them about exciting travel plans. I have received a range of reactions from family and friends when I dropped the news that I would be living in Spain next year. It's made me think about how I react when someone tells me news like that... and how a reaction can give such insight into how the people close to you feel about your directions in life.
My family (with the exception of my little brother, aunt, and uncles) has been very apprehensive with the news. My dad was concerned about how these plans would play into my ability to find a real job next year, what a year off would look like to potential employers, and whether my connections made in grad school would last throughout the year so I could use them when I returned. Although all these things have crossed my mind, I think the benefits of going abroad for the year will substantially outweigh any negative consequences, career-wise. Who's to say I would find a better job right out of school, versus a year later? It's simply not a vital thing to worry about, and I believe that I will be alright when I get back.
My mom (and her mom, my nana), were immediately worried about spending a year abroad. "Is the family safe? What if I don't get along with them? Are they nice? Is Malaga a nice place to live? But you don't speak Spanish! Oh, I hope this is a good decision!" were the first few things I heard from both of them when I broke the news. I have to give my nana some credit here - she doesn't understand how the internet works, and how something like this is legitimate or possible. My mother's worries are all valid, of course, but are they really necessary to voice right away when I mention this? I think some of my travel-anxiety might stem around these sorts of routine reactions from her... the world isn't as dangerous and intolerable as it seems (from what I've gathered). And if anything does go wrong, you learn from it! The potential for problems is not a reason to avoid an experience. I could go off on a tangent about this, but I'll save it for another post.
My brother, aunt, and uncles were all really excited at the news. They asked lots of questions, and said things like "you won't be coming back after 10 months in Spain, there's nothing here for you after an experience like that!". They are all very adventurous folk, and I appreciated their excitement for this next phase of my life. My aunt and uncles were also the ones who set me up nicely for my California trip, with valuable advice that only true travelers would be able to lend.
My dearest friends have been excited for me as well. Buttttt I sense some envy sometimes. At this point in our early adult lives, I feel like we are all struggling to find something to latch onto and grow off of (like a career), or depressed that we can't afford to travel and experience things. I'll admit I'm (sometimes) the first person to get jealous when I hear of other people's exciting travel plans. I know it's not nice, and I do feel happy for them, but I can't help compare their opportunity to explore this world to my drab graduate student life in south-western Ontario. The grass is always greener though, right?
I've been struggling with the idea of posting this travel plan on Facebook... I don't want to "rub it in people's faces", but I also want to share my experience with friends who I may not have the opportunity to tell in person. Plus, I am really hoping that someone on my friends list will message me with something like "Hey! I've been to Malaga! Let me tell you everything you need to know to have the best year ever!". We'll see. I think I will break the news when things become "paper-official" and I apply for a visa.
Overall, I enjoy these reactions. I enjoy the questions that my friends and family bring up when I break the news, because it makes me think about this decision... and sometimes justify why I am going. I appreciate the excitement, and I appreciate the concern. And being on the receiving end of reactions is making me re-think how I should react when someone tells me about their travel plans.
