Should I leave?
I’m 19F from a Muslim African family. It’s always been me and my mom since my parents divorced when I was five. She worked 3 to 4 jobs growing up. I appreciate everything she’s done, but I also grew up lonely. We didn’t spend much time together. I didn’t even really spend Eid with her until 8th grade.
Around middle school my mental health started slipping. By high school it got worse. I took hard classes I wasn’t ready for, failed math junior year, and struggled badly. Senior year I rebuilt everything. Finished with A’s and B’s, a 3.2 GPA, got into 2 colleges, and decided I wanted to major in sports media with a photography minor.
Then my mom came back from Umrah and told me I should move to Egypt for a year or two to study Quran. At first it sounded optional. Then it became an ultimatum. Go to Egypt or leave her house.
I dropped out before college started because it was too late to take a gap year properly. I worked 3 to 4 jobs, helped with her business unpaid, and never received money from a susu she made me join. She still called me useless.
Two weeks before the flight I finally saw the ticket. On the day I left, she told me I could come back, but I wouldn’t be in her life anymore.
Now I’ve been in Egypt for a month. I live with my uncle and cousin. I barely leave my room except for Quran class. I feel isolated. It’s Ramadan and I’ve never felt more alone. My heart isn’t in this.
I reapplied to my university, filed FAFSA as independent, and received a merit scholarship.
So now I’m asking:
Do I stay and force this path, or book a flight home and choose my own life?
Posted Feb 20, 2026, 4:23 PM UTC