I looked back at my parents as I went up to the TSA checkpoint to go through security. A pit was in my stomach as I glanced back one last time. Breathe, ten days isn't that long I'll be home soon.

This was the Summer before senior year when I was off to France for ten days on my own. I took a deep breath and went up to security, starting my trip to independence and maturity as I would navigate the world on my own, a continent away from my parents.

It's so funny to think about how much I relied on my parents when traveling in the past, a parent was in charge of luggage, usually my dad, and my other parent, my mom, was in charge of tickets and passports and together they made sure we were at the right gate for the plane at the right time. I had to make sure I had all my stuff together on my own. What a great task and an adventure in itself, being responsible and a real adult.

Traveling on your own especially to a foreign country you must remember everything is fixable and everything works out. You must stay calm even when you want to freak out. You must remember your family is only a phone call away. You must also remember your own your own so pay attention to your surroundings and worry about yourself.