I want to go on a solo trip to Sydney or the Great Barrier Reef as a graduation present to myself.
My mum said, "No way in hell are you going by yourself, do you not have friends?"
And then starts blaming me for not going on holidays as a child because I didn't want to leave my bed or was scared of unfamiliarity and missing school (which I wish I had missed because upper primary school was shit). Apparently they used to go on holidays every year or two years before I came into the picture.
However, a) my parents value saving money and have instilled in me the "You don't need that rubbish" mindset, b) I'm sure I would've been on board with going if I had known what to expect instead of writing off the idea entirely because I was apprehensive and c) if she wanted to, she would find a way.
Aw Low, I'm sorry. I know it's hard, but you should do your best and make a conscious effort to be adventurous, do stuff you haven't done before, go on holidays, go see new places and try new things! You're still young, you still have time to enjoy yourself
One of my workers I once had was in his 60s and had never left Australia. He told me something that's always stuck with me: "if you always say 'next year, next year, next year', there will come a year you're too old and frail to do the things you wanted to do". I try and live by that. Not all adventures need to be a month away in South America. If money's a problem: get a bus ticket and go to Mildura. If time's a problem, hop on the train to Woodend, and walk to the bakery.
If you want to go to Sydney, go to Sydney! Again, if money's the concern, a Firefly is $65 each way. If time's a concern, catch an early morning flight, travel light, and fly out late the next day. I could barely point to the great barrier Reef on a map, but I'm sure there's economical and time friendly options there, too
Omg I can't express enough how much you should go on adventures. You will not regret it. The world is there to be experienced.
Sydney is the easier choice and a great milestone if you want to ease into your first solo trip. You could (and probably should) get around without having to think about a hire car. If you haven't been to FNQ or anywhere like it before, it is absolutely gorgeous. Depends on what kind of trip you're after.
I kind of attribute my anxiety of being around people, or calling people, or visiting people, or meeting people, or really anything to do with people as at least partially caused by how much "stranger danger" and "never answer the door by yourself" was instilled into me as a young kid. They definitely are logical things to teach kids, but my mum kind of took it to the next level
There's more to it, of course. The constant internal and external threats to safety and property over the last 6 years have not helped, but even before that I was terrified of people