Waging war with myself is a losing battle

In my time I have done battle with many worthy adversaries..................the worst of which has been ME!

For the past several weeks I have been waging an ongoing battle with myself over the benefits and advantages regarding my granddaughter, a college junior, going to Dubai for an entire semester in a study abroad program, as opposed to what she would consider the down side of not going at all.

She is leaving tonight. She won the seige, but not without being informed in as non-scary a way as I could muster, of the possible pitfalls of a trip across the globe. My self-battle goes something like this:

It will look good on her resume.
She could get homesick.

A very smart girl, she can advance her international law career because of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
She might hate her roommate, and then she would be stuck.

Modern technology is marvelous.
She might hate the food.

They have counselors and staff on site.
What if an axe-murderer gets loose from the local jail?

And so it goes. My final losing parry ends up being, "But I don't want her to go!" like anyone cares what I want, and like I can hear my mother whispering in my ear from wherever she is in the great beyond, "You raised your children. Let them raise theirs!!"

All right, I admit defeat. No more,"But can't you learn something in this country?" and no more, "But didn't you just recently learn to cross the street by yourself?"
I am outnumbered. The whole world has gone travel mad. So her parents approved (what do they know?) and her teachers approved (them, too) and, first and foremost, she approved. which makes her a far braver, more daring and certainly more secure and grown-up a person than her weary old Mimi.

Go forth, then, child of my child, with my blessing, however reluctant it may have been initially.....................and certainly with my love and admiration. Be safe. Come home safe and wiser than before. Remember that my heart goes with you.