Parents won’t let me visit boyfriend

[nonloso]

I’m 18. I met my boyfriend in Italy for the first time during this past summer while on vacation with a family member, and it was absolutely amazing. But they won’t let me travel alone. My boyfriends kind-hearted family would love to meet me and said that I could stay with them for two weeks. I would visit him in a heartbeat, but I don’t have a car. Without a car, I don’t have a job. But I’ll start working next month, as my dad will give me his. I’d never ever ask my family to pay for a trip to go see him, so I plan on saving money as soon as possible. I even explained that I’d create a budget for important things, such as textbooks, fees, parking passes, gas money, etc. They don’t want me to be independent. They told me, in regards to traveling alone, “absolutely not!” explaining that I’m naive, I have no life experience, I know nothing about the world. But, I’m not allowed to have life experience. They won’t let me. All I know is that I love him, and I plan on going to Italy for grad school. They don’t even want me to study abroad during my undergrad years (even though it’s required as my major). I know that if I wanna make this work, I need to buy the ticket irregardless of what they say, but I just don’t want to destroy our relationship. We have a good bond. I want to communicate with them, and I feel like I can’t. They’re not very open-minded. I haven’t broken the news that we’re officially an item, because just the idea of it angers my mom. Help.

[maple]

How have things been for you? You should have a talk with your parents. Let them see that you have a life, and even if they want to control your life, they probably wouldn't be around your entire life. So it is important that you have some independence. They are probably worried about you and thus may be overprotective. If they say you know nothing about the world, not let you do anything, then how do they expect you to get the experience?

[Smile_Vay]

My parents are the exact same way... they believe I will never grow up and I haven't learned anything even though I do have a job and got it pretty much on my own, and they also do not know how much I seriously have been through, especially with my own boyfriend because he and I never had been on the right terms until now. I would have a serious sit down with your parents especially because people our age need to grow and learn and eventually, we will be on our own which is why you deserve to see him.