Just found out a relative has been in Iceland–hopefully having the wonderful time he expected. He got a great fare and decided to go! I look forward to hearing about all he’s willing to share. He’s a seasoned traveler and takes mishaps and whatever happens during travel in stride. >:D<
“My kids worry about nothing.”
Oh yes they do, they worry about US. They just don’t let us know about that. 
My D showed she worried about us (me especially) by flying LAX to DEN to be with us when I was having a bunch of evaluations at a med center in Denver. She was very engaged and asked relevant Qs of the providers.
My son will travel to Greece at the end of the month. I’ve been told that it is as safe as it might be these days anywhere. Hope he has safe travels.
That’s a pretty big miss…
Update:
In Spain and I impressed by how much she knows already. Streets, short cuts, and food.
I can’t understand the local Spanish ( rapidity, slang, and regional influences) which is not Mexican nor SA Spanish!
I’m a native speaker of Spanish with certificates of bilingual proficiency from the state of California! Holy cow, no wonder my dd feels overwhelmed!
DD has to “work” in the pharmacy internship in late afternoon but wants to spend every day/hour with me; she’s been very clingy which is not her normal behavior. So, both her Dad and I are glad I came.
An elder “flat” mate (my age) is from Germany (7 flat rooms in a huge hostel-type room) and knows my concerns, so she volunteered to keep an eye on my dd. She was unaware that my dd was having so many problems, since my DD’s door is always closed (doing what school personnel suggested).
The flat mate is a woman who will be staying a year here in Madrid. She wants to go back to Germany to teach Spanish and said she wanted to immerse herself in the Spanish culture. We only communicated in Spanish because I don’t speak German. (And I obviously can’t speak Spain Spanish!) She was aware that my dd was having trouble with the Spanish courses here, but didn’t think to ask or intervene (based on the teary eyes). We spoke while my dd was at work.
I Have been posting here on CC (during flight layovers) and when she’s at work.
There is a Holiday here on Monday and police presence here has been heavily armed. A very scary and different setting than I have ever experienced. I will be with her during the “Celebrations” and have heightened awareness.
Glad I came. Thanks to everyone especially @2collegewego.
My 21-year-old will be heading to Beirut in 25 days. My dad’s former student is a professor at the American University of Beirut. He will pick up DS at the airport and let him stay at his house until school starts. I feel much better knowing my son has a contact like that. I’m still very nervous about his studying in such a dangerous place, but I know it’s where he’s supposed to be.
@aunt bea, I’m going to apologize for suggesting this, but having traveled in Madrid and environs, I wonder if you and D are over interpreting every experience in a way to make it more foreign, uncomfortable and down right frightening than it needs to be? I’ve been a solo female traveler, non-fluent in Spanish and found nothing to be so constantly nervous about.
Many foreign countries have “heavily armed” police at large events and have for years. Back in the '80s in Normandy, DH and I were surprised by a uniformed guard with automatic weapon who approached us and told us we needed to move our car as the area was being used for the weekly market. We could have chosen to be frightened by the experience, it was certainly out of the norm for us and a bit shocking to be addressed in a foreign language by a machine gun toting official, but we decided to just note the differences in framers markets in France vs in the US.
As regards the language, as I said, non-fluent, but I love the Castilian accent and spoke with my limited Spanish to a number of people. I have much more trouble here in Chicagoland trying to communicate with Mexican nationals - to me, that is fast Spanish! I certainly do respect your experience and have no doubt that that it is upsetting for you and D. I do wonder, however, if it isn’t time to just accept that things are different and try to adjust without all the angst.
Again, my apologies for suggesting a new approach - I am not disbelieving or discounting your feelings and your D’s. I understand this is the reality, not imagination for her. Your D is upset, I would be upset as a Mom. In point of fact, however, Madrid is not the US and maybe just accepting that, adjusting, learning and moving forward would help. I can also understand if this isn’t easy or even possible. If things continue to be frightening or upsetting, I would suggest to my child that she return home. No need to push on through to complete something when you are so clearly unhappy and scared.
I am also a native speaker of South American Spanish. I did have a bit of trouble adjusting to the Spanish in Spain but it got easier every day. The same way that my British English was not good enough to understand everything when I first got there. By the time I left, I was fluent.
@Momofadult, I appreciate your input.
Both my husband and I wanted our dd to have a good experience. We’re not trying to limit her exposure to make it uncomfortable and foreign, otherwise we wouldn’t have helped her pay for our part of the trip with our limited funds.
Heck, I consider myself foreign having had to travel often, to Mexican cities with heavy cartel activities.
This is 2016, not the 80’s, and she’s traveling alone, and it has been an awful violent year worldwide. If, as a parent, you consider me paranoid, then yes, I’m scared because I can’t control that some idiot with a truck won’t run over her, either in a country far from home, or here at home. I’d rather have her closer to home, but that is her choice. (Btw: The UC Berkeley student, killed in Nice, grew up in my local community.)
As one who traveled Europe during many years in the last century when many Americans were staying home, I got curious about the historical terrorism rates:
http://globalriskinsights.com/2016/03/19640/
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/03/terrorism-in-europe-at-historical-high/
Not that statistics help anyone with a son or daughter overseas. Terrorism is effective because it makes us rethink our daily lives, gives us another cause for worry about our children and loved ones in all circumstances and takes away our feeling of control.
I was in Germany during an “event” years ago - it was frightening. Somehow, my own safety was not and has never been nearly as concerning to me as the day when my son called from his US urban campus. There had been police in his slightly off-campus apartment lobby that morning - a shooting had occurred during the night. Perpetrator had entered through the locked doors and security system and shot a resident leaving very early for work. Believe me, I do have full sympathy for anyone concerned about their child’s safety - here or abroad!