When I was around 12, I would visit my dad and stepmom in Washington state. I travelled alone, flying to Denver and switching planes, continuing on to Sea-Tac.
I don’t remember having anxiety about travelling alone to my dad’s. Being a minor, airport staff would help me making flight transitions and I never worried what would happen if I missed a flight. This was well before 9-11 and the TSA checks so flying back then was a lot simpler.
I would stay with my dad during the summer, and fly back home to get ready to back to school. I had my 13th birthday there, with a huge Filipino feast. No matter how much I try, I can’t make pancit like my stepmom.
I enjoyed these trips and visiting my family in the Pacific Northwest. Nothing bad or stressful happened, other than the fact as I was heading home meant the summer was over.
Namaste