Canada -> USA Traveling at 18 Need advice!

[xxfirefoxdragonxx]

Hey Everyone,

In a month or so I'm travelling by myself on a bus to the states to seeing my SO for the first time. I'll only be there for 4 days. My concerns about this are that there going to call my parents since I do live with them. The reason why that's a problem is that they don't know about this trip and would "kill" me if they found out, since of online concerns, age gap and a failed attempt of seeing each other, etc. But I've known him for so long and I'm going away for University so I feel like this will the first and last time I will see him.

I obviously have a Canadian passport and I've gone through the border many times but with my parents and a school trip, and do have a return ticket and acceptance letter from my uni. Is there anything else I should know or have to make the process smoother?

[kittyo9]

They might give you a tough time just because you're young and traveling alone, but you are legally an adult and it's unlikely they'll call your parents unless you make a big deal about not calling them, in which case they might do it just to make a point.

Your acceptance letter and return ticket are definitely good to have; maybe also include proof of travel insurance for the period of time you'll be traveling. The general rule is: Do not lie, but do not volunteer more information than is asked. Talking too much is an easy way to accidentally say something that can be misconstrued.

Make sure you're very clear about where you'll be staying and have a backup plan in mind in case things don't go as planned. Also... please at least tell someone else where you'll be. Planning for the worst is one of the best ways to avoid it.

[xxfirefoxdragonxx]

Thank you so much for the advice! That makes me feel less anxious now.

Do you recommend any good and cheap travel insurance plans? What do you recommend as a backup plan? I'm going on a fairly extreme budget, and don't worry I have at least 4 friends that will know where I am.

[kittyo9]

My SO has used TD a couple times on his trips, although I know there are others available that may cost a bit less. Unfortunately, travel insurance for the US is not that cheap, but it is significantly cheaper than a visit to the ER.

For a backup plan, think about where you could/would go if things didn't go as planned. I am not sure from what you've written whether you'd be staying with your SO, but if you are and things didn't go well and you felt uncomfortable, where would you go? For example, maybe another friend lives nearby who you could stay with, or maybe there's a motel or something fairly low-end that you can easily get to to finish out your trip.

Alternately, maybe you aren't staying with your SO but something happens and you need to leave right away. Try to make sure you have enough funds accessible for an emergency situation like this and that you aren't 100% reliant on your SO. I know it's tough when money is tight, but it is infinitely safer (and makes you feel a lot better) to know that you can bail yourself out of a bad situation should one arise.