The author (not pictured) says she'd let her daughter go backpacking solo again in a heart beat.Oscar Wong/Getty ImagesMy oldest daughter took a gap year when she was 18 and delayed her college start.She told me she wanted to travel through Europe for three months with her own money.I worried every single day she was gone, but I also needed to trust my daughter.I was a very fearful child who grew to be a fearful adult.