I let my 15-year-old fly home alone from Europe. It didn't go smoothly, but I'm still glad she earned the independence.

The author (right) allowed her teenage daughter to fly home from Spain by herself.

Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith When I booked an extended-family trip to Europe, my teenage daughter complained it was too long.

I agreed to let her fly home early by herself, even though I was nervous and reluctant.

She forgot her passport and faced delays, but she got home safely.

Most summers, I try to pack in as much travel as possible with my kids.

My children have dual citizenship , and it's important to me that they spend time in Europe and connect with their roots.

I enjoy showing them the rest of the world, too.

In past years, my kids have had fun traveling from Rome to Warsaw or Seoul to Tokyo.

This summer, I planned on staying in Europe for nearly a month, making the most of our time by staying until the day before school started.

I booked hotels and flights and excitedly told my kids the plan.

But this year went a bit differently than expected.

I allowed my teenage daughter to travel home alone.

My daughter wasn't happy when she heard about my extended travel plans When my 11-year-old son learned we would be spending nearly a month in Europe, he was overjoyed.

My 15-year-old daughter, however, was despondent.