We’re leaving for our Brazil trip tonight. I’ve gotten into the habit of telling my parents about my international trips about one to two weeks before I leave, except when I go to Australia for Christmas with Chris. The main reason for this is so that they have very minimal time to worry about all the potential dangers I could encounter, and the secondary reason is so that they have less time to nag me about why I apparently don’t understand the value of a dollar and how hard it is to earn money (even though I have been 100% self-sufficient, and not in any debt, ever since I graduated from college just over six years ago). I tend to get nagged about “wasting money,” and “why are you taking a trip instead of coming home to spend more time with us?”

This time surprisingly, neither of my parents had much of a reaction when I told them I was going to Brazil. I don’t really think that my mom knows where Brazil is or what the World Cup is. When I told my dad we were going to Brazil, he immediately asked if it was for the World Cup, and he seemed surprised in a positive way. He also didn’t raise a single question about safety or violence the way pretty much every older adult I know has. Maybe my parents are finally accepting the fact that I’m going to continue traveling and making my own decisions for the rest of my life. Or, maybe they have just given up on me. 🙂