Sigh. I know this one all too well. What do you do when you dream of traveling, but your parents or guardians don’t support or won’t permit you to go anywhere?
This dilemma is one that is possibly the most difficult travel barrier to overcome because it’s something that you have little control over.
It can be maddening to keep your wanderlust on a tight leash because of others’ wishes when all you want is to run free with your travel desires and just go everywhere and anywhere.
Maybe your parents are concerned about your safety, and don’t have enough trust in you or the world to release you from their protection.
Maybe your parents don’t believe in the practicality of traveling, as it’s not something that they do, so they cast it off as a pastime that is frivolous or selfish.
I can relate to all of the above.
Before I continue, I just want to say that I love my parents and fully understand where they are coming from.
Some of their reasons to not fully support my travel ambitions are valid. I get that I can be vulnerable while traveling. I get that a dream of traveling is not something that is as orthodox as a dream of being a doctor. I get that it is hard for them to understand my prioritization of travel over prioritization of saving money for a car, for example.
But at the end of the day, it is only up to you, and you only, to decide whether to place what others want or expect of you above your own best interests.
Alright, so let’s get into it.
- Investigate the other side, but hold your own ground
The first step is to try and understand where your parents are coming from. No matter how much you disagree with them, realize that they are acting out of love for you. And their reasons for not wanting you to travel are most likely valid concerns. Make sure that you consider their thoughts, based on what you believe to be true.
It’s important to reflect on this from as much of a neutral perspective as possible. Ensure that you are in a mindset that is not overcome with emotion, because this will easily obstruct the clarity that this first step is meant to reveal.
What I mean is that you have to look at this situation from a third person perspective. You can’t allow yourself to be too influenced by either side. Remember that considering other people’s views does not mean that you must take them to heart or change your own beliefs.
Simply identify the logic in your parents argument. Nothing more, nothing less.
- Speak from your heart, not your resentment
The second step is to express your side to your parents, without attacking them or calling them out on all of their wrongdoing. Instead, express how their lack of support makes you feel. Explain the depth of your travel dreams, how real it is for you, and how imagining yourself seeing the world makes you feel.
Make an emphasis on why you feel so strongly about traveling, and how this is worth the concerns that they have about you doing it.
Focus on your love of travel, not on the hatred of their restrictions.
- Be as logical as possible
Parents need logic. At the end of the day, it probably won’t matter how much you dream of traveling if they still don’t believe in its possibility.
This is where I suggest that you do some research into how you plan to make your dreams of travel a reality.
Are you working to save money to put towards travel? Do you know what to do in emergency situations? How much planning will you make in advance of your dream travel trip?
Since you’ve already identified your parents’ concerns in step one, you should be able to counter argue these concerns from an equally logical perspective, preferably with research to back it up.
- Express gratitude, no matter the outcome
Gratitude always. If your parents are willing to reevaluate their perspectives on traveling, thank them for doing so!
If your parents still don’t see your points or believe in your dream, thank them for just wanting to protect you.
It may take time for them to come around, so try to be patient with the time it takes for them to become comfortable with the idea of you traveling.
Just don’t lose sight of your dreams.
The wanderlust that lights your core on fire is all that you need for your travel dreams to become, eventually, a reality.
Let’s fight for our dreams together.
gottacaseofwanderlust 
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