Family making me have second thoughts about my gap year
I am going to spend my gap year to in Europe for a year before starting university (am a European and American citizen). I leave soon and am starting to have second thoughts. My room in my house share is all ready, I will start applying for jobs, my bags are packed, however my family is beginning to make me feel guilty about going, and worried about me being there by myself. But if I don't travel now, I won't be able to for I am going to be getting into the medical field. I really want to go, and it's been my plan for the past 6 years, but now I'm having my doubts, is this normal to be thinking negatively like this?
Absolutely normal. In a way, it would be strange if you weren't nervous before jumping into something that is totally unknown to you. I've always been nervous before a holiday, particularly so for my first few big holidays (I've been travelling off and on for a while now). And one year away is a big holiday.
Currently your new life is completely unknown to you, but give yourself a week or so actually on the ground there and you'll be so familiar with everything that you will already know the quickest way to get to the bus stop/train station/7-Eleven from your house. You would have started looking for work or already be in work. In a month you will have work colleagues and/or friends, you will have a favourite market to visit, you will have seen some of the wonderful sights that you've always wanted to see, and you will feel completely at home. You may even be able to understand an Irish person!
Be kind to yourself now, while it feels like life is all "up in the air". Have some of your favourite things/chocolate/magazines to read/buy some nice new clothes. I can guarantee you that very soon you will feel absolutely comfortable in your new life.
Don't let them put you off, go for it, taking a gap year was the best thing I've done!!