Hi,
My question is that I live in Kansas and I am attending the July 5-14 session in DC and my parents are absolutely positive that they think they need to fly to DC with me...they are afraid something would happen to me. On the other hand, I would am independent and would love to fly up by myself without them. So how many of you guys fly up by yourself, or how are you planning on getting to the forum?

Anyone else going to the last session in DC this summer?

my parents thought the same thing at first...but then they read more and when they found out that we get our own shuttle transportation to and from the airport they were more okay with it. im flying from the east coast to san francisco and i thought there was no way they'd let me go. im going by myself now, but i also know people who are hiring flight attendants to help and keep an eye on them. but youd be just as fine going by yourself.

I agree I would like to fly by myself. Hopefully I will be able to convince them, that way they dont have to pay extra flght costs for themselves...cause it would be like an extra $650 for one of them to fly with me. Thanks for the advice!

I too am having problems with the air flight. I live in a small town in Alaska and I dont know if I have provide my own air transportation to and from the forum. As in, I make my own preparations and flight dates and everything in that nature. Did you all make your own flight reservations?

Yes, you have to make your own plane reservations. You might have to drive to a larger city in Alaska to fly out. I will have to drive 4 hours to get to Kansas City to fly to Washington D.C. Umm in the booklet that they sent me there is a travel agency you can use for a small fee to the agency or you can make your own flight reservations. Being that you live in a small area in Alaska I would recommend using the travel agency so you can get the best prices for your flight. Hope that helps

Hey im Paige. Im going to the first Washington D.C session. I live in Tennessee and i have been flying alone to New York 4 times a year since i was 5, and nothing has happened to me. This time im flying and driving.. So good luck with your parents. hope i helped some

yeah, flying alone is just fine. Everyone who works at the ariport is usually REALLY helpful. As long as you keep track of all of your stuff and stay organized, you should be fine. I have flown a few times with out my parents , and I can honestly say that it was about 7x more awesome! (Because they always fall asleep and take the aisle seat when I have to go to the bathroom.....LOL)

Even though my parents tend to be a bit more tight around issues like this, I'm flying out on my own from STL to Philly in June (by the way, if anyone reading this is as well, TALK TO ME! I hate airports and I hate them more alone). But I have the whole, I'm graduating this may and going to college in August so let me be independent for once thing working for me.

While I'm a big supporter of being independent (I was supposed to go to London with my aunt but my mom insisted she come as well) I have to say, let your parents eat their cake. Sucks now, but then they may also be flipping out that they won't have as many chances to go places with you now that you're getting closer to ending high school.

Thanks for the advice....my mother has well kind of caved, she is probably going to fly up with me and let me fly back on my own. I guess I can live with that, I'm just a very independent and organized person and well this is just something that I would like to do on my own... ya know like oh, i'm old enough to drive my car anywhere I want but I can't fly alone...i'm 16 and the baby girl of the family and my mother would love to keep my her little baby forever, but I told her that she can't cry when she drops me off...I won't allow it. That reminds me of a funny story, in the summer before 7th grade I went to band camp(I know laugh all you want), it's somewhat of a big thing in my town during the summer (we are a smaller town 20000). They have compsers and muscians come from all over the country to work with us and when my mother droped me off (I will tell you that the dorms that we were staying in are litterally 10 minutes or less from my house)she cried, i was only going to be gone for a week and she could bring me stuff at any time if i needed something. Mind you i had a great time and did not miss them one bit, I like my alone time someteimes and my parents don't understand that. Well whatever they're my parents and they love me and they would do anything for me so I guess I can't blame them for being worried.

I have quite a few stories like that one. I am seventeen and last week I went to a state competion for Science Olympiad (I am somewhat of a nerd if I think about it). I was leaving early Thursday morning and coming back late Friday night. I guess because my mom and I are so close it makes it really hard, but she had - HAD- to have a hug before I got on the bus - puh-lease!!!!! My parents are fine - at this moment - with allowing me to fly by myself, but just wait. If anybody else is going to the Boston July 5-14 session, I bet I will be able to tell you exactly how to navigate to and from anywhere in both airports, what to do if the plane spontaneosly combusts during flight, and the location of every information desk in the country as well as every phone number known to man. Parents can be somewhat difficut to manage at times!

hey, i'm tamara.
i'll be flying alone from upstate NY and i'm going to the same session you are. :]
my mom was really paranoid and was going to drive me to and from D.C., but then she saw how much more money that would be and decided against it.
i'll be a junior turning 16 this upcoming september, so she thinks i can handle myself.

Awesome!! Tamara it is so nice to meet someone from my session! I am also going to be a junior but I already turned 16 in December. We should get to know each other and everything. Do you have Facebook??

yesss i do!
search "Tamara Criss" on facebook and i should pop up. (i'm in a picture with one of my best friends; she's chinese.)
yeah i'm younger than pretyt much everyone i know haha. what do you want to specialize in?

Well, Tamara, I added you on Facebook, and I would like to specialize in either OBGYN, PICU, NICU, or ER. Thats as far as I've narrowed it down. What about yourself??

I would love to be a neurosurgeon, I've wanted to do it since was 10. After that, I love: neurology, oncology, and diagnostics.

I know I'm a bit late on registering on the online forum but ugh. My flight going to Session 1 in Washington D.C. is at 7:30 and I'l be at D.C. at 9:28. -_- never have someone else book your flight.

I flew from Florida to Chicago by myself last year and i had never flown before.
It was perfectly safe.
My mom was there when i boarded the plane and i landed in Atlanta and had 30 mintue layover in which i just walked to the next terminal and sat.
When i arrived in Chicago i just grabbed my stuff and went to where i was suppose to meet the NYLF staff at.
Its perfectly safe i assure you.
Everyone i knew that flew, flew alone.