My 18 year old son has never had a girlfriend and has never socializes with girls, should I be worried?
My son is 18 years old. He works, spends most of his time at home playing video games and he goes to the gym quite a bit as well. There's been many occasions on family events and social outings that there has been cute girls his age present, he will say anything to them, and stay completely away from them entirely. Every Sunday our whole family goes to church and there is this very pretty girl who goes with her family as well, she's 17.I've caught my son looking at her from afar before, but nothing more. We've been going to the same one for 5 years and for that entire time my son has never talked to her once, I've talked to the girl and her family a couple times and the girl looks at him sometimes to see if there's something wrong with him, but he won't even go near her. He's very good looking (not saying as a mother but as a female to comparison to other men) he goes to the gym often, he has friends who are guys but he has never once mentioned a girl, ever had a girlfriend or I don't remember even the last time he talked to a girl? Should I be worried that something is wrong? He turns 19 in 2 months. Thanks!
If I hold hands with my gay partner in San Francisco, will they mock me?
Probably not - SF is one of the most supportive, accommodating and wonderful places where one can be him/herself.What intrigues more to me is that why you are worried about what they think if you are being yourself. No matter if you are gay or straight or hetero - someone in some part of the world will always find something that is not right with you - maybe for dressing up in some way, maybe for crying, maybe for laughing, maybe for being or not being a girl or maybe for no reason. Let me tell you - that is absolutely their problem, not yours.Why is this such an important consideration for you? Why is the embarrassment? Why are you not able to respect yourself, your relationship for what it is irrespective of what others approve of.
I am 18 years old and my girlfriend is 17 years. Can we stay together in a hotel in California?
Q: I am 18 years old and my girlfriend is 17 years. Can we stay together in a hotel in California?A: Legally, yes. Because you are 18, you are legally able to enter contracts, including the rental of a hotel room. A hotel may choose to rent a room to you if they like. There is no law against an adult occupying a hotel room with a minor (per se).I did this many times when I was just out of high school (i.e., the summer after my senior year). I traveled up and down the state (well, San Francisco to San Diego, anyway) with my girlfriend who was not yet 18. I never so much as received a raised eyebrow when checking in.For people who are worried about statutory rape (called Unlawful Sex with a Minor, in California) among other things, it has to be proved that you had sex. There’s no magical spy agency that follows all minors around and monitors whether they have sex. And, realistically, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to. Relationships are… complicated.Insert “I am not a lawyer” disclaimer here. Or, just talk to her parents. ;-)
Is an 18 year old too young to travel solo?
Hello, I’m glad you’re asking this question, because it shows that you are conscious about the potential risks associated with travelling alone as a young woman.I was in the same position 10 years back, I wanted to go on a solo trip when I was 18 and coming from a very conservative family, they all flipped and the talks about being kidnapped and how foolish I was being didn’t stop right until I got on my flight.18 is not too young to travel alone but it does call for extra precaution and wise planning. There are physical limitations to acknowledge as a young woman and so if you’re not well-travelled already, I would recommend starting with so-called low-risk destinations (eg. Australia, London, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, Taiwan, etc) to begin with and a shorter trip (perhaps a week or so).For your own safety:Plan and book your accommodation in advance and send a short message to check in with your folks when you arrive.I know night activities might sound very fun but it would be best to skip them and return back to your hostel/hotel to rest early (after all you have an exciting next morning in a new city awaiting you!).Get a local cellphone number with data plan and emergency numbers on quick-dialYou’ll meet friendly new people but it doesn’t hurt to be overly-cautiousThis is not the time to experiment with alcohol (if you don’t already hold your liquor well)It will not hurt for you to take a ladies self-defense class before heading out, it probably isn’t alot of use but you’ll feel more confident, also its fun. :)Trust your own sensibilities and remember that there will always be many many more great trips to come. :) You’re not missing out on anything by watching out for your own safety.I wish you all the best!Cheers.PS. After that trip, I went on to travel a lot more and moved and lived abroad in various countries. It’s been a wonderful, scary at times but with a little caution, I’m fine. Take good care.
Is traveling to Novosibirsk, Russia safe?
I can understand your parent's concerns, traveling to any country can be potentially dangerous for a young woman to travel to alone. Realize please that you are indeed a young woman, and vulnerable. (it is what it is) If you are flying into Moscow, don't try to explore on your own. Get on the next flight asap. (yes, everyone wants to explore but you can do that another time). Novosibirsk, is a relatively safe city, especially since you will be with a host family. Knowing Russians, they will show you a great time and you will get to see and fall in love with both Russia and it's people. Lastly don't do anything stupid, don't talk or go with strangers. Enjoy the trip
Is it safe to travel to Los Angeles alone for the first time (two 19 year old females, from New Zealand)?
I wouldn’t categorize that part of Hollywood as dangerous… It is just not very clean, and there are a lot of homeless people that walk around there panhandling. I wouldn’t encourage walking around late at night alone, but if you are on the main streets together, you should be fine.What are you planning on doing? Just hanging out and walking and Ubering to different locations? Uber is safe, keep on eye out for ratings of your drivers, 4.8–5.0 is good. Uber can get expensive if you are in traffic for long periods of time. Early morning and mid-afternoon are the best and fastest times to use Uber. You can also use public transportation like MetroLink to cross large parts of town, and then Uber from there.Just some suggestions. Staying in Santa Monica might be a little more fun. You are right next to the beach, Santa Monica Pier, The Promenade. You can go to the beach, get something to eat and shop all day if you want to. If you want to go over to Hollywood Blvd, and check it out, you can Uber or take MetroLink to downtown LA and then Uber or bus up to Hollywood. Hollywood is fun, but unless you are partying every night at a night club there isn’t much in Hollywood. Visiting the Chinese Theatre, and walking the Walk of Fame, takes all of half a day. There is not much else in Hollywood aside from the main street’s attractions like shops, restaurants and the occasional crazy/interesting person that walks by. Santa Monica is cleaner, it has more nice restaurants, and it has the beach, the bike path, Venice is next door, etc..There is a hostel in/near Santa Monica if that is your budget, and while it pretty much looks like the Hollywood one you are staying at, it is ostensibly in a better location, with much more to do.LA is an enormous place, and there are plenty of safe places to hang out. That said, there are plenty of unsafe places too. Use your good judgement and common sense. There are lots of places to visit in Los Angles from DisneyLand, Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm, and California Adventure Park to museums, to the beaches. I have answered several questions on what to do in Los Angeles:)Some great comments have been made below… Uber, it will likely be expensive depending on what time you head over across town. Using Metrolink from Santa Monica to downtown LA, and then Ubering from there to Hollywood is probably the cheapest scenario.
Is taking a greyhound bus by yourself safe?
I traveled Greyhound by myself this past summer at age 21. I had to take three different buses, so I got a few different experiences. Overall, I had a very positive experience. It's absolutely not luxury traveling, but I had a better time on my bus ride than I did my train ride home. For safety, it is safe as long as you are smart. Here are some tips I picked up: Don't bring expensive items or signs of wealth. Dress plainly, and leave laptops and the like at home! I kept my money and my bus transfer tickets in one of those travel money belts and then I kept about $5 in singles and change in a coin purse in case I needed snacks or something. Bring your own food. You never really know when you're going to have the chance to stop and get a meal, or what food options will be available to you once you do. I know on my bus, we didn't stop for dinner (we had 10 minutes at one bus depot where I was able to get a vending machine snack and use the bathroom...) and my bus's meal stop was from 2am-2:45am at a bus station in an area where you wouldn't want to go outside after dark. That means you either eat some of the gross food from the dodgey little bus station snack bar, or wander off on your own and risk who knows what. I had brought Lunchables (with a plastic grocery bag for my garbage), some granola bars and other little snacks and it kept me pretty happy. Pack minimally. You get two carry-ons, so try to fit everything into those two carry-ons. Then you don't have to worry about transferring your own bags or anything. I put a travel lock on my main bag and used it as a foot rest so I could close my eyes and not have to worry about someone going through my stuff. Sit near the front and be friendly to the driver...for obvious reasons. If you are lucky enough to get two seats to yourself, pile your stuff up on the other seat and pretend to be sleeping at every bus stop. It decreases the likelihood of someone sitting next to you which not only is more comfortable, it makes you feel safer. I think that's about all the wisdom I can impart. If you still feel uncomfortable about the bus, you can always try Amtrak...still cheaper than flying. (Mind you, my trip with Amtrak was terrible...but I know a ton of people who have had great experiences, so whatever.) Good luck! Enjoy! :]
Is it legal for parents to hit their 18 year old?
If the child is under the age of 18, its considered child abuse. If the child is over the age of 18, its considered battery and is still illegal