do 18 year olds need chaperones?

my first born wants to travel half way around the world to spend a week with his friends during spring break, in march 2011.

being the kind of person he is, along with his emailed request to go, he sends his dad and me details of his holiday schedule, his friends' holiday schedules, flight options, ticket costs, cost of hotels and service apartments (weekday and weekend rates) in the country he plans to visit.

impressive, but we gene donors freak out anyway.

me, still the conservative villager under my lipstick and concealer, freaking out at the idea of a teenager flying halfway around the world to spend a week with friends; his dad, who is ok with the half way around the world for a week idea, freaking out over the trouble he might get into- probably having nightmarish recollections of his own college days- something that does not bother me even after it has been pointed out; i know my son... err... at least think i do!

so, 'pa, he lives in a different country for heaven's sake!' i protest. 'you have no idea what he is up to there and you're ok with that. so how is this trip different!' i wonder if i should point the father to first born's facebook page.

anyway dh comes up with this crazy proposal that i go and spend that week skulking about in the same service apartment my brat is likely to stay, just to keep an eye on the boy. i can't think of anything more horrid, for both brat and me.

picking a time that's appropriate, what do you think about it raja, i ask. i take pains to point out that i'm a super cool mom who will not get in his way, or on his case, as long as he wasn't doing dangerous things of course.

'it's simple ma,' he says, quick as a flash. 'nana and you have to realise i'm not 14 anymore. also, my friends and i are not so stupid that we will break laws with no care for consequences. that said, if having a chaperone is the only way i can travel, i'd rather not go. i'll wait till you can trust me to travel to a foreign country on my own.'

then he moved on to something else. no arguments, no tantrums, nothing. he just made his point and moved on!

from past experience, i know that first born's 'oh so reasonable' handling of situations gets people to agree to even the most outrageous of requests, and i can't see this as being any different, but i'd like to see where it goes anyway!

i also think i would have made a nice mom for me. sigh.