If it's any help at all, I know that a number of my daughter's friends went on long exchanges to OS schools at this age, and a couple were packed off by their parents to internships on the other side of the world for a year as soon as they finished their last year of high school (i.e. at age 17/18).
I wondered how these kids would cope, being so young and all, but it seemed to work OK. It seems to make the kids more independent and requires them to grow up and be less selfish. They learn so much by having to cope on their own, and they seem to value things like family and friends a lot more.
None of this probably helps you to feel any better about leaving your son, I know.
It's just plain hard.
And 27 hrs, that is torture, I know that too.
You are showing your son that you are active agent in the world - someone who takes things on and is not afraid to explore change and make decisions. This has to be a good thing.
