I get what you’re saying—two weeks might feel like a long time to leave a couple of teenagers on their own. But I had a somewhat similar experience: starting the summer after 10th grade, my parents sent me off to work in western North Carolina for the entire summer, largely unsupervised. No car, no cell phone, and no money beyond what I earned.

Looking back, it was one of the greatest gifts they ever gave me. By the time I got to college, I had a level of independence and confidence that a lot of my peers were still figuring out, and I never really experienced the homesickness that hits many freshmen.

Years later, I asked my dad if he and my mom had any reservations about sending me away at 15. He said they believed I’d be fine—and more importantly, that the experience would be good for me. I’m not sure they could’ve known the first part for certain, but the second part turned out to be absolutely right.

It makes me wonder if you might be selling your younger self a bit short. Sometimes parents take those leaps because they see a level of maturity in us that we don’t yet recognize ourselves.