Are you worried you might be acting like a vacation planning prick?
In this piece, we delve into the intriguing world of internet confessions, where people turn to seek validation for their travel choices.
Join us as we explore the entertaining and sometimes controversial tales of vacation planning dilemmas and decide whether they are being pricks or not!
All content has been edited for clarity.
That’s A Relationship Ender
“My GF (Sarah, 29) and I (M, 28) have been dating for 5 years, and I wanted to go on a vacation with her to celebrate. I planned the trip for several months (of course I shared my plans with her), and decided on skiing/snowboarding/other winter activities in CO. The activities seemed perfect, and I was looking forward to this for months because I wanted to propose to her at the end of the trip.
5 days before the trip, Sarah dropped the ball on me that she invited 2 of her friends to meet her there. I was upset because I wanted to spend 1:1 time with Sarah for our anniversary. I feel like it was plain and clear that this was a trip for just us. Even though I expressed my concerns, Sarah insisted that her friends already made plans to come and won’t back out.
I decided to accept this because there was no way for me to force her friends to not come (I wish I fought more on this). I figured we could make some changes to our plans, and I would still be able to propose to her privately. Sarah essentially blew me off for her friends and we didn’t get any private time.
After 3 days of being in second place, I decided to leave the trip and head home. I told Sarah why I was leaving, and she was upset. She told her friends about my decision, and I was ganged up on. They said we were all having a great time. She thinks I’m being a prick for making her pick between her friends and me (even though her friends weren’t invited in the first place). I never had personal issues with her friends prior to this trip. I never made Sarah pick between me or her friends because everyone needs friends outside of a relationship.
I’m at home now and thinking about everything. I have a day to myself before Sarah comes home, so at least I get to relax a bit. Sarah and her friends think I’m overreacting and think I ruined the trip. I think Sarah was disrespectful and rude to me by ruining the purpose of this trip and having her friends gang up on me.”
You Don’t Deserve Her (Or Anyone)
“My girlfriend, myself, my parents, and my brother and his wife all went on vacation in another country a week ago. My brother and I were the ones who did most of the planning of the itinerary although we did ask everyone else for input. For background, I make around $150,000k as an IT consultant, my girlfriend is a teacher making $45,000k. My parents are pretty affluent as well as my brother and sister in law.
My girlfriend knew this trip was coming up and took on a second job waitressing on the weekends for several months to get ready for it. We have always split things 50/50 in the 2 years we have been together. There were a few times on the vacation when she did not go on outings with us- drink tasting/scuba diving/etc. She also would only eat 2 meals a day, simply stating that she was on a budget. My family does favor more high-end (expensive) places. My parents thought it was very strange that she only eats 2 meals a day although normally she eats 3.
When we got home I asked her why she skipped out on several of the outings and only ate 2 meals a day- I mentioned how I heard her stomach growling one night and said I was concerned about her having an eating disorder. She got teary eyed and said that 3 meals a day wasn’t fiscally feasible for her and neither were the outings that she chose not to go on (she went on 3 of 6 outings). She said she was not expecting everything to cost so much and she was overwhelmed.
She also said she doesn’t know if this is going to work long term if she is expected to go on vacations like that with people who make so much more than her. I feel bad that I did not pick up on her discomfort sooner. But we did agree to split everything 50/50 and I don’t know why she agreed to come if the cost was an issue.”
She Was Literally Sleeping
“So, I’m currently in Portugal with my girlfriend (I’m 31, she’s 30), and it’s been a blast! We’ve been spending the whole day together, soaking up the sun, and just yesterday, we went on this amazing boat trip.
But, as with any relationship, we’ve got a bit of a snag that’s causing some trouble. You see, I’m really into gaming, and it’s my way of recharging and having fun. Unfortunately, my girlfriend doesn’t get it at all, and that’s where things get a little tricky.
Now, I get it – it’s not easy living with someone who’s always glued to a screen, so when we’re together, I make a conscious effort to cut down on my gaming. I hand over my phone and give it my all to be present with her.
However, here’s where the issue popped up. After our boat trip, we wanted to grab dinner. She decided to take a shower to clean off all the sand and salt, and while she was doing that, I thought, ‘Hey, I’ve got a few minutes, might as well knock out 1 or 2 quests on my notebook.’ Not the best move, apparently. She came out of the shower, I wrapped up the quick quest (5 minutes), and then we got ready for dinner.
Later, when we hit the sack, I woke up at 6 am today. Seemed like the perfect time to grab some coffee and quietly play the game while she was still asleep. I made sure everything was super quiet – mouse and keyboard were like ninja stealth mode. But then she woke up and started crying, saying, ‘Why do you use every free moment to play that thing instead of doing something with me?’
I’m stuck wondering, what else can I do? I play during times when we’re not hanging out together.”
I Can’t Believe He Doesn’t Like You
“Currently, my kids (16-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter) and my ex are extremely upset with me because I won’t give up my appointed time with them. My son won’t even talk to me, and my daughter is crying all the time.
Let me give you a bit of background. My ex and I divorced shortly after my daughter was born. It’s a complicated situation with blame going both ways, but I won’t delve into the details here. Eight years ago, we settled on a 50/50 custody agreement, switching every other week. Even though it’s been a while, we’re still not on good terms and barely communicate, except when it concerns the kids, which is fine by me. One thing we’ve always agreed on is not planning things on days that aren’t ours. We rarely make changes to the schedule unless it’s absolutely necessary. Throughout these eight years, I have never asked him to have the kids on one of my days, nor have I ever given him one of my days, even if he begged.
Now, last week, my ex contacted me with what he called ‘good’ news. His parents are hosting a week-long family reunion at Disneyland during the summer, and he wants to take the kids. The problem is, it falls on one of my weeks. He asked me to let the kids stay with him that week or to switch weeks, but I turned him down. It’s my designated time with the kids, and I cherish spending it with them. I suggested he try to reschedule, but he claimed it’s impossible because the whole family can only make it that specific week. He told me to ‘think of them,’ but I stood my ground and hung up on him.
Last Sunday, when my ex dropped the kids off with me, my son refused to speak to me, and my daughter wouldn’t even look at me. When I asked my ex what was going on, he rudely replied, ‘ask them’ before leaving. My daughter burst into tears when I inquired, and she said I was ‘not letting daddy take them to Disneyland.’ It turns out my ex had painted me as the villain in this situation. Last night, I tried to sit them both down to explain that it’s my week with them, but they wouldn’t listen. My daughter just cried, and my son accused me of doing this to get back at my ex.
Honestly, that’s not my intention at all. I believe it’s unfair for him to put me in this position when his parents scheduled the reunion during my time with the kids. I demanded an apology from my ex and asked him to set things straight, but he refuses, simply texting me, ‘can’t tell them the truth cause they already know it.'”
