I think, my travels have driven my mother nuts, mostly because she knows of ''better'' ways I should spend money, and because I took years out while at university to go live in other countries, before dropping out of my degree course completely. And, she doesnt think backpacking is ladylike, unlike the package holiday advertisements she clipped from newspapers and magazines, because she thought the comfort displayed in the photos of the hotel rooms, swimming pools, beauty salons etc would lure me away from the backpacker world.
It also drove my mother nuts, that I travelled with my ex, because he is Australian, and she says Australian men are macho, and that I will end up a pregnant hippy holding the baby, while he takes off to some other part of the world. Me and that guy didnt have any baby. She should have worried more about those unmacho European men, because it is one of those who I eventually had a baby with.
My boyfriend worries a bit, if I want to go to someplace that is heavily in the news, because of political instability. I put off my trip to Iran for a year, so he could get used to it. Most of the time he does not worry about, and does not hinder my travels. Sometimes, he even joins me.
Do you really think that's a good idea mum?
LOL I hope my daughter doesnt get like that. Makes one wonder what Ali and the rest of yours get up to on their travels, that they dont want you to do. 😉
Now I have seen guys almost get into accents and come close to slapping a few as we walked down the streets because they were looking at her so hard. So needless to say, I am a bit nervous.
Yeah, I am a bit worried about taking my daughter to India next Summer. She will be 11. I am hoping she will still look childish enough to not attract that kind of attention from Indian boys and men. It is pretty annoying if it happens to me, but if they do it to my daughter, it will bring out my mothers protective instinct, and I am not sure what the result of that would be.
I dont know what I will be like, if my daughter wants to travel far away by herself in the future.I will insist on an email everyday at least, so I am reasured she is safe, which will likely irritate her. When I was in Kuala Lumpur a month ago, she went missing and it was a terrifying experience for me. I told the security people at the shopping center we were in and they found her. When she arrived, with cola and candy and an 11 year old friend, flanked by a couple of security guards I was so relieved I could have cried, and she was furious at what she descrived as 'me setting the police on her'.
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