DR. WALLACE: This fall will be my senior year of high school, and I'm so excited, because now I can begin to look at studying abroad again. I have wanted to do this since I was 10 years old, but due to the pandemic, I thought my dreams would never come to pass.

Now that we have a lot of vaccines both here and in other countries, I think there's a chance I might be able to study abroad for a month or more at some point during my senior year.

Because of the pandemic, I'm not sure this is still allowed, so I thought I'd ask if you might know how I can find out. — Love to Travel, via email

LOVE TO TRAVEL: If you're wondering whether or not you can go to college in another country, the quick answer is "yes" — IF all things return to normal.

For centuries, students have been leaving their home countries to study at high schools and universities abroad. Right now, yes, the pandemic will be the big factor when it comes to timing.

You will need to check with both your local area and any international area in which you are interested. The good news for you, in my opinion, is that you actually have a window of five years to study abroad, rather than one. Your senior year of high school would be optimal for you, but if that does not happen due to the pandemic, you may be able to do it somewhere along your college journey. Instead of a month or two, you might even be able to take a full semester studying abroad in an area that you find interesting.

YOUR SISTER HAS GOOD COMMON SENSE

DR. WALLACE: I'm 17, and my older sister is 21. We both live with our parents. Whenever my sister and I attend a party together and alcohol is served free of charge, my sister always has some beer. I have never seen my sister drunk, but it bothers me to see her consuming alcohol.

She never drives after she has a drink because she always calls her boyfriend, who happens to be a nondrinker. He always brings his brother, and then they also drive my sister's car home safely.

Do you think my sister has a drinking problem? I think she does, but my parents don't agree. — Worried Little Sister, via email

WORRIED LITTLE SISTER: Your older sister may or may not have an alcoholic consumption problem, but she indeed has good common sense. Calling her boyfriend to drive her and you home is very, very wise.

Every individual of legal age, such as your 21-year-old sister, has the option to drink alcohol from time to time or not, but there is absolutely no excuse for drinking and driving. In your sister's case, she has a helpful boyfriend who, along with his brother, can provide her with safe transportation. Many young adults and adults of all ages regularly now use the rideshare services Uber and Lyft whenever they plan to enjoy time out socially and they expect to consume alcohol.

Drinking alcohol too regularly or consuming too much at once is a separate issue from the drinking while driving issue. Both are extremely important, and in your sister's case, I don't know enough about her or her routines to comment on the volume of her alcohol consumption. However, I give her very high marks for being sure to always arrange safe transportation whenever she does consume alcohol.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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