Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you again for letting me run around the world for an entire year and trusting that I had the ability to survive and somehow make it back home by Christmas. But why?

Over the past 6 months I have made some pretty un-adultlike choices. For example:

• I got my phone stolen in Spain
• I shipped my passport to America to get a visa and then had to go to the embassy and look like a sad puppy to get them to agree to issue me a duplicate passport because mine got held up in customs for two weeks.
• I hiked 22 miles while I had a concussion.
• I have not gone to bed before midnight since I left home
• I talk to strangers ALL the time
• I broke my toe and refused to go to the doctor
• I stay up all night and play at children’s parks at 5am

All that being said, I was not ready at all to go abroad alone in January. In fact, I am pretty sure I am still not completely ready. I am so glad that you let me go. You were both about my age when you left your respective homes in Mexico, with nothing more than the clothes on your back, to pursue a better future in a country where you did not speak the language. I haven’t really ever asked how that felt, but I am pretty sure it was scary as hell and you probably became pretty independent pretty quickly.

Although very different, our situations have a lot in common. You guys had no idea what you were getting into, neither did I. But this experience has made me grow up and has made me realize that I still have a lot of growing up to do, (I am not really sure I want to grow up that much yet though) and I am really glad I have you guys by my side. This year is forcing me to evaluate my life and make choices that I was putting off until later. Some of the things that I have learned while being abroad have made me realize how much I appreciate the way you guys raised me and everything that you have done for us.

Since being away from home, I have also done some pretty adult things, like:

• File my taxes
• Travelled alone
• Learned how to be alone
• Navigated my way around cities where I could very easily get lost
• Budgeting(?)
• Spent copious hours reading
• Learned to love art and spend hours in museums
• Seen incredible world wonders
• Be very adaptable in unforeseen circumstances
• Owning up to and accepting my mistakes

As I prepare to head off to my next adventure in Turkey, I go in with a different mindset. I am going in knowing that everything is going to be great and whatever happens will shape me into a better person and will hopefully shape me into the person I want to become. Mom and Dad, you guys raised a great daughter (at least I think so) and I promise I am going to be more responsible from this point on. Thank you for believing in me and giving me the support I need to be able to travel the world. Who knows, maybe next time I am here you guys will be chinning a pint with me.

Much love,

L