Relevant Story Time:

I took a year off from College at 19 to move out to LA with some friends with no real "reason".. We didn't have jobs lined up, didn't have a lot of money saved, and didn't have much of a plan. One of us had an uncle that lived out there though who said we could stay with him for a couple weeks until we figured it out and that was enough - it was about the adventure really. We only stayed out there for a year but it was an incredible life experience.

We found an apartment in a predominantly Latino neighborhood and as a group of pasty white kids from rural America we stood out pretty quickly. But the people in that neighborhood were without a doubt some of the most welcoming and kind people I have ever met. They invited us to their BBQs and social events, brought us the occasional meal, made sure we were safe and not getting ripped off when we wanted to buy weed, and just genuinely welcomed us to their neighborhood. It is where I really learned how human we all are - regardless of our backgrounds, race, ethnicity, religion.. We are all still humans and that has for sure stuck with me throughout my life.

It was where I first learned what being hungry actually felt like. We struggled to make ends meet, didn't find jobs as easily as we had thought, and we barely made it to the end of our year long lease.. but we did! I learned about how truly hard life can be, and what it means to really be an adult. We all had the mental safety net of knowing that we had the ability to go home and back to school, which I had definitely taken for granted up until that point. The friends we made there that were scraping by just like us but didn't have that option.. It was humbling to say the least.

Now many years later I have my own kids and the thought of letting them go off and do something like that is terrifying. I am only now realizing how my parents and my friends parents must have all felt as we proudly told them what our non-existent plan was. But they didn't try and stop us.. They gave us advice, talked with us about it, and trusted us as best they could. And I am so glad that they did. I just hope I have the same strength that they did when it's my turn to step aside and let my kids go on their own adventure.

Good luck! I think I'm going to go call my parents now and say thank you ;)