How do you deal with negative feedback from friends and family?

While the decision to take a round-the-world trip might be the exciting culmination of a lot of hard work and deep thought on your part, it might catch some of your friends and family off-guard. And for some people, it might seem like a totally bad idea even after they’ve had a chance to get used to it. If you’re lucky, the people in your life who think you’re making a giant mistake will be far outnumbered by the people who cheer you on, but what if they don’t?

BootsnAll member VicBC has been on the receiving end of some pretty negative feedback ever since he started telling people he was going to take four months off after graduating from high school to travel around Europe. Some of the comments he’s gotten include:

“Are you even thinking about the future? You’re going to be a light year behind everyone else that’s going to school.”

“Why not wait? You can still travel while in college or when you have a career.”

“Why waste 12 grand for just a short amount of happiness?”

VicBC’s not feeling pressured to change his mind based on this feedback, but is asking the BootsnAll membership whether it’s worth it to argue with these people or not. And if it’s worth trying to reason with them, what’s the best argument to use? You can add your thoughts to the thread on the BootsnAll boards – and while you’re there, check out the new look and feel of the BootsnAll Message Boards which just got unveiled this week!