So I had a rather nice phone conversation with my dad this afternoon -- he was quite sweet and was as complimentary about me and my chosen life path as I think he will ever be. But now he and my mom are both ripping into me because my friend and I want to drive the Pan-American Highway from Alaska to Ushuaia in Argentina. My parents are freaking out because, obviously, we would be driving through Mexico and Central America, and they are worried about the crime and the possibility of me getting kidnapped or murdered there. I tried... I really, really tried to reason with my mom. I told her I love her and I don't want to scare her, but a) this wouldn't be happening for some time anyway until I have the funds for it, b) we still haven't finalized our route, c) although yes, parts of Mexico and Central America are indeed dangerous, you do your research beforehand and use common sense and you will be less likely to find yourself in a bad predicament, d) I've traveled before, so I'm not green e) people drive the PAH all the time and get back unscathed, f) I would be with at least one other person, maybe a few more g) I want to start traveling again and see the world, and h) there is no point in living at all if you don't spread your wings and get out of your comfort zone. Obviously, I would learn Spanish, and I am already a part of groups on fb for the PAH, so I am following other people's experiences. Well, my mom still didn't like that and said she wanted me to do a guided tour instead. **** ME... I am not some bougie, yuppie boomer from the 'burbs who enjoys that crap. And anyway, I reminded her that when I did a guided tour through the Sistine Chapel in 2008, the tour guide lost me. I had to find my own way back to the hotel in Rome. Well, she got mad and then began guilting me because she grew up poor and she's sorry her lifestyle isn't good enough for me. I retaliated by saying that she was doing to me exactly what Gran used to do to her, only instead of Gran guilting my mom about being able to go to college, my mom is now guilting me about having grown up in the middle class. It's exactly the same thing. We ended the conversation pretty much on that note. And the heart palpitations I got last night when thinking about my dad being a jackass came right back. I had to go take a bath in cool water to bring myself down. This is not good. It's not healthy. And if it keeps up, I am going to cancel my trip back home. It's in less than two weeks, and I was looking forward to getting away. I really was. But if I go into fight-or-flight mode like this every time I interact with them, that is bad. I'm already wound ridiculously tight from the stress at the job I hate. I need to stop letting them get me riled up like this because this isn't good.