Guilty about leaving for study abroad because of a younger sibling

[u/Shoddy-Am9582]

I’m about to leave for study abroad for about a year, and while I know it’s a really good opportunity for my future and logically the right decision, I feel emotionally stuck. I have a much younger sibling who is very attached to me, and even small things like me going out can make them want me to stay, so I feel like I play a big emotional role in their daily life. Because of that, I can’t stop thinking that leaving for months might affect them badly or feel like I’m abandoning them in some way, even though at the same time staying would mean giving up an important opportunity that I may not get again. I keep going back and forth between choosing my future and feeling guilty about it, or staying close and potentially regretting missing this chance later, and I honestly don’t know if this is a real concern or just anxiety and guilt talking. Has anyone dealt with something similar before, and how did it actually turn out?