My son (unexpectedly) took a year off after high school to do a North American tour (drums) with a Broadway production of Victor Victoria. How a 17 year old got that gig I'll never know. After that he went to a local college (James Madison in VA) for music/percussion, but the world had opened up for him by that time and he decided to try the West Coast/Bay area in his second year. We drove together from Baltimore to San Francisco. (Epic road trip) I left him with the car and whatever we packed in it and flew back home. Finished a degree from the conservatory there and promptly went to work for Apple, then Google. He never looked back and is still out there after 20 years. Married, two kids.
My point is to be prepared for the twists and turns that come along as they enter this phase, and enjoy the ride!
Marty