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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that holidays are non essential?

479 replies

Silliantro · 02/04/2021 12:27

The amount of whinging about missing out on holidays here and elsewhere has been shockingly irritating. Will missing out on a couple of trips to Megaluf/bland med cruises REALLY be the end of the world? It's such a shocking tone-deaf and privileged way to live your life.

Will staying at home and talking to your DC/learning a language/read a few books really be the end of the world? It's pretty grim absolutely NEED trips abroad or the seaside to to distract yourself from your own life.

OP posts:
BungleandGeorge · 02/04/2021 16:13

They’re not as essential as being able to socialise normally with friends and family. What you feel is most important to you as an individual will vary but as a society I really don’t think you can justify holidays when some people can’t even see their mum or their children

diwrnachoflleyn · 02/04/2021 16:14

I'll think of all the po-faced misery merchants as the plane takes off. Grin

Brainfogisreal · 02/04/2021 16:14

Oh surprise surprise. OP is a first time poster and has fucked off. Stop feeding the goady troll.

IcedPurple · 02/04/2021 16:15

@BungleandGeorge

They’re not as essential as being able to socialise normally with friends and family. What you feel is most important to you as an individual will vary but as a society I really don’t think you can justify holidays when some people can’t even see their mum or their children
What if your mum or children live abroad?

In any case, life is not the Essential Olympics.

folloyourarro · 02/04/2021 16:16

A lot of things in life aren't "essential" but life would be fucking miserable with out them. Holidays are high up on my priorities, nope I don't need them to physically function, but I set my bar a little higher than just functioning.

lanbro · 02/04/2021 16:17

I work for myself and find the only way I can really relax and let go is when I'm physically away on holiday rather than just taking time off. I can manage with a UK holiday but I much prefer an abroad one...obviously not essential to life but essential to me to be able to get away fully from what is all consuming when I'm a home

Howmanysleepsnow · 02/04/2021 16:20

It’s grim to need a break from your normal life? Well, maybe, but maybe day to day life IS grim and relentless for some people. Having something to look forward to helps my mental health. Having time away from work helps my husband’s stress levels (and so the whole family’s).
Lots of things that aren’t essential are opening up in the next couple of months. Lots of people are saying they can’t wait to get a haircut/ go to the pub/ whatever as it’ll boost their mood. Those things wouldn’t do it for me, but if it allows them to feel better then great. A holiday would help my (pretty dire) mental health and I’m hoping we’re allowed soon.

MintyCedric · 02/04/2021 16:21

I would say it's pretty 'tone deaf and privileged' to assume most people's lives run so smoothly on the daily that they might not be in desperate need of a break from 'real life' every so often.

KarensChoppyBob · 02/04/2021 16:23

Stop feeding the goady troll

I reckon they must have indigestion right now...at least.

BungleandGeorge · 02/04/2021 16:26

I was waiting for the ‘what if your family is abroad’ 🙄 surely you knew that if you choose to live that distance from your family it will be harder to see them? And that it will be controlled by immigration restrictions. People are visiting family at the moment if they can claim an extenuating circumstance. People were freely flying all over the place for half of last year

IcedPurple · 02/04/2021 16:27

People were freely flying all over the place for half of last year

That's just not true though, is it?

TrustTheGeneGenie · 02/04/2021 16:27

@BungleandGeorge

I was waiting for the ‘what if your family is abroad’ 🙄 surely you knew that if you choose to live that distance from your family it will be harder to see them? And that it will be controlled by immigration restrictions. People are visiting family at the moment if they can claim an extenuating circumstance. People were freely flying all over the place for half of last year
Surely you didn't know there was going to be a pandemic that stopped travel??
fizbosshoes · 02/04/2021 16:28

My Ddad died in 2019. One of the first things I did when we got some money from his life insurance policy was book a holiday - the type we'd never been able to afford before, because after a horrible year, we wanted something to look forward to! As it turned out the next year (2020) was not much to look forward to, (and of course the holiday was cancelled) and this year has not started well for our family either.

diwrnachoflleyn · 02/04/2021 16:29

@BungleandGeorge

I was waiting for the ‘what if your family is abroad’ 🙄 surely you knew that if you choose to live that distance from your family it will be harder to see them? And that it will be controlled by immigration restrictions. People are visiting family at the moment if they can claim an extenuating circumstance. People were freely flying all over the place for half of last year
Why, no, fucking surely no one predicted the reaction to Covid19 Hmm. But nevertheless, you are correct, having more than one nationality and business abroad, thankfully, I can fly freely to see them and will do. Not really bothered what miserable people on the internet think of it.
MargosKaftan · 02/04/2021 16:32

Holidays are not essential. Obviously they arent.

But a life lived purely for essentials is fucking dull. I get that some people can't have more than just survival, but I pity them, not see them as an example to be copied for a simpler life.

I'm finding very hard to understand those who hate holidays. Unless you are all campers.

3CCC · 02/04/2021 16:33

No they aren't essential however holidays are one of life's joys. And after a particularly shit year then holidays are needed to boast people's well-being

Also I would say that holidays are essential because I live somewhere where the local economy relies heavily on tourism. And without tourism / holidays people don't have jobs and without jobs people can't eat, have a shelter or afford the water / electric bills etc which are essential

EasterIssland · 02/04/2021 16:33

@BungleandGeorge

I was waiting for the ‘what if your family is abroad’ 🙄 surely you knew that if you choose to live that distance from your family it will be harder to see them? And that it will be controlled by immigration restrictions. People are visiting family at the moment if they can claim an extenuating circumstance. People were freely flying all over the place for half of last year
Yes. When I moved here back in 2008 the first thing I thought was that there was going to be a pandemic 13 years after that would prevent me from seeing my family for a whole year. Should I stayed and lived with my parents so I’d be able to see them.?

Seeing my family just because I miss them wasnt on the list one of the last times I checked.
Where I’m from my country was on most of the year in the red list. I would have been able to go if I was willing to lose loads of money. Last time I checked my trees weren’t brewing money.

If you have nothing nice to say then sometimes it’s better to be quiet. Hope you’re never in the position where you can’t see those that you care about the most

MaxNormal · 02/04/2021 16:40

surely you knew that if you choose to live that distance from your family it will be harder to see them?

Oh absolutely. I gazed into my cristal ball twenty-one years ago and accuractely predicted the pandemic that would stop my annual trip to see my family. Foolishly I proceeded anyway.

The crystal ball has been great for the multipe lottery wins though, so there's that.

SecretSpAD · 02/04/2021 16:43

People going on holiday is pretty damn essential to the continuation of many businesses down here in the south west. It's not all about people getting drunk in magaluf...

diwrnachoflleyn · 02/04/2021 16:44

Indeed, Max. My eyes glaze over when I read 'surely' or 'just', it's always followed by utter bollocks.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 02/04/2021 16:44

They're not essential, no. But they're a big part of my life and bring me a lot of joy. I'll accept that they probably won't happen this year but I don't have to be happy about it.

PinkiOcelot · 02/04/2021 16:47

Yep YABU.
When I’ve been at work all year, I look forward to a fortnight in the sun. Even at home when the weather is nice, I don’t do as I would if I was away. I’m still cleaning up, hanging up washing etc. So not the same. Plus a week in a caravan listening to rain on the roof in Skegness just doesn’t cut it for me.
Saying that, I haven’t been moaning about it.

Scbchl · 02/04/2021 16:47

Good first post

BungleandGeorge · 02/04/2021 16:53

If you have nothing nice to say then sometimes it’s better to be quiet. Hope you’re never in the position where you can’t see those that you care about the most

Almost every single one of us has been in that position the last year. The last 3 months you haven’t been able to visit family in this country either

EasterIssland · 02/04/2021 16:56

@BungleandGeorge

If you have nothing nice to say then sometimes it’s better to be quiet. Hope you’re never in the position where you can’t see those that you care about the most

Almost every single one of us has been in that position the last year. The last 3 months you haven’t been able to visit family in this country either

surely you knew that if you choose to live that distance from your family it will be harder to see them?