When someone tells you not to...

It was hard enough thinking about everything I was going to miss for a whole semester, my friends my work with the seals, and of course my family!
But everyone who knew me knew this was something I HAD to do and supported me and told me to go and that the time would go by fast and that they would all still be here when I got back, all except one person, the guy I was seeing, we had been going through a little bit of a tough time, I was so ready to leave and so set on planning my time and where I would go that I never even asked how he felt, thinking hey if he liked me enough and cared about how I felt he would be supportive, I was wrong, one night probably a week or two before I was supposed to leave he asked me to choose him or Australia without thinking, without needing to think, I said Australia, I mean was there even a question there!?
I couldn't believe he was asking me to choose, knowing how bad I wanted to go!
Here is my advice if any of you are planning a big life change and someone you care about family, friend, or significant other doesn't support you, you have to ask yourself are they jealous that you are leaving and leaving them behind? Are they scared you might change? Or are they being selfish in wanting you stay with them and do the 'normal' or 'right thing'. I have some advice on this:

1. Show your itinerary, how well you have planned and saved, this helps people see you are serious and it is happening (sometimes whether they like it or not...)

2. Reassurance is key, for anyone who worries, like moms :)

3. Know your own limitations, cost, length, distance. Especially distance and location if you are someone who gets home sick or is worried about meeting a language barrier (personally I am the worlds worst at learning new languages, I took Latin in high school)

4. Don't let anyone tell you you can't! Because you can! :)

5. Stand up for yourself, it's your dream after all! There will always be a reason not to go, make sure you don't succumb to those, you will regret it.

There is my little rant about making sure you follow your heart, you are the only one at the end of the day that can make the decision to take the leap, do it for yourself and everyone else will fall into place, if not it's not meant to be after all :) Moral of the story I went and me and the guy parted ways, best decision of my life and I wouldn't have done anything differently.