How do i travel alone to Italy from Spain?

How can I convince my parents to let me travel to Spain this upcoming summer?

• My dream these past two years has been to visit Spain, particularly Madrid and Barcelona. It is because of a combination of many different things (my love for Spanish football, for the country's food, for the way people live and act there, etc) and I feel as though I'll greatly enjoy the experience. A small branch of my family (a great-aunt and great-uncle and their son and daughter) currently resides in Madrid, so I will definitely have a place to stay if ever I am able to visit them. However my parents are somewhat unsure of me going there, because if I ever do, I'll go alone and I will be sixteen by the time summer rolls. My family isn't rich at all and we sometimes struggle to make ends meet. There will probably not be enough money for my entire family (me, my parents and my younger brother) to make a trip to Spain. I'm trying to find a job or two (at the local supermarket and as a referee) but I have no idea whether I'll raise enough money for my own ticket, let alone those of my family. How can I convince my parents to let me go to Spain? It'll require only one plane from Canada to Madrid, I won't need to switch planes and I doubt I'll get kidnapped or anything of the like. Also, have you traveled alone before? What advice can you give to someone like me who has always traveled with either her family or a youth group? An early gracias for all your help :)

• Answer:

  I would say that money is a big factor... Start by coming up with money to pay your own way. Is it fair that you should get to go , but no one else in your family? Well.. it would rationalize things if you went and your brother didn't if YOU paid your own way. Realistically though...you are young and you have time... hate to say that cuz I used to be in your shoes at your age dreaming of France! I was always told I was young and could do it when I was older on my own... Okay then, I DID do it as soon as I was in college and discovered a geography course that required spring break in Spain in order to pass the class. I signed up and informed my parents that they wouldn't want me to flunk the class, now would they? (I also had the extra fees saved up and was determined to go no matter what they said then.) Then I did an exchange semester my sr. year of university, which cost about as much as the tuition staying in America anyway so money wasn't unreasonable then... Finally, took a job overseas in Korea when I was indeed on my own. Living in Korea now... Telling you my story just cuz I've been in your shoes! There is hope, but I know it is hard to be patient! Another factor would be that it is hard for your parents to let you go out into the unknown... I couldn't understand that when I was your age since well... that is part of the lure of going in the first place.... but you must understand that even in America... your folks probably wouldn't feel comfortable sending you to live with distant relatives in a far away American city for the summer to do whatever.... How well does your family keep in touch with your relatives in Spain? How big is their living space? In Korea, we live in a very small apartment, and would welcome visitors, but we'd be cramped and it would be an inconvenience, whether we'd want to admit it or not. Your relatives may also feel that way... open invitation, but would realize some obstacles once having AMerican visitors was a reality.... gotta take that stuff into consideration too. Bottom line... try to understand your parents and the whole situation and save, save, save and you WILL achieve your dream!