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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Girls trip abroad - who was in the wrong?

433 replies

Travellinggirly · 05/02/2024 20:35

This happened last year but I’ve realised it has been bothering me ever since and has made me pull back from this particular group of friends so wanted to get some opinions.

So group of Mums went on a trip abroad. This is a longstanding friendship group but one that don’t really see each other that regularly (some individuals see more of each other than others but as a group it’s more special occasions and occasional weekends away).

Anyway on one of the nights there was a big local festival taking place, culminating in a huge fireworks display (think a smaller London NYE set off a bridge to music). Two of the group bailed out early in the evening as felt the streets were getting too busy. Remaining four stayed out and later started to head down to where fireworks were happening. But then as we got nearer some of this group also started making noises about the crowds and wanting to hang back. Decided to go no further. I personally really wanted to see the display as had heard it was meant to be amazing and the spot we had stopped at wasn’t far away from where we needed to be - they had basically stopped at one end of a street and we needed to be the other end but from where we were we couldn’t see the bridge at all.

So I basically said I wanted to carry on so I could see them - no one else wanted to come with me so agreed I would go and they would stay where they were. But then at some point whilst waiting for the fireworks to start I got a message to say it had started to get too busy where they were so they had also headed back to hotel. So basically I was left out alone in a foreign country about half an hours walk from our hotel (probably almost 1am by time I got back).

I think they knew I was upset the next day but I decided not to make an issue out of it and ruin the rest of the trip. The person I was sharing a room with though I did say briefly say to that I was pissed off they left me alone but she basically said it was my decision to stay out.

AIBU to think you don’t leave one friend out on their own in a foreign country and maybe at least one person could have stayed to make sure I got home ok? Or was I being difficult wanting to stay out when clearly no one else did and I should have just left when they did regardless if I wanted to see the fireworks? In my opinion though it would have been such a shame to miss them (and they were amazing). But now I’m left feeling like these aren’t real friends and I’ve started finding excuses to bail out of some of the get togethers. Thanks in advance for any views on this!

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 08/02/2024 19:35

Windydaysandwetnights · 05/02/2024 20:46

Do adults really fear crowds when they surely knew there would likely be crowds???

You can feel ok in a crowd until suddenly you don't. There can be crushes. You can be jostled just a bit too much. Trying to stand still at an agreed meeting point can start to seem very difficult when hundreds of people are milling past in a certain direction.

lifeispainauchocolat · 08/02/2024 19:52

mathanxiety · 08/02/2024 19:35

You can feel ok in a crowd until suddenly you don't. There can be crushes. You can be jostled just a bit too much. Trying to stand still at an agreed meeting point can start to seem very difficult when hundreds of people are milling past in a certain direction.

This.

They can go from "busy but fine" to "wild and overwhelming" in a matter of minutes. I can cope with "busy" but when you start getting jostled and people are shouting and shoving in to you, I genuinely find it quite scary.

It doesn't make me "pathetic" either, as someone so kindly said up-thread. Different people have different tolerances.

Katbum · 08/02/2024 21:30

YABU _ you wanted to stay out, you stayed out. Nothing bad happened, you’re fine. I don’t get what you expected here? Someone else to make themselves uncomfortable chaperone you? The group to accommodate your needs rather than go with the majority? It’s was fine imo for you to do your thing, but you are being a bit of a spoiled drama queen still stewing months later because a group of friends let you do what you wanted and treated you as an adult. It would really piss me off if my own friends babied me, putting themselves out to make sure I was safe. If the country was dangerous you probably shouldn’t have wandered off alone.

kittycloud · 09/02/2024 06:07

Sorry but you did make the decision to stop out. The others stopped at the other side of the bridge because they didn't want to go any further, they probably got a bit fed up of wauting for you. A bit unreasonable to expect everyone to hang around, it would have been better if you'd arranged a time with them, then they'd have known it wasn't going to be too long. Definitely not worth falling out over.

Lifetooshort23 · 09/02/2024 19:09

Regardless of the fact they left you alone in a foreign country (I wouldn’t leave a true friend alone anywhere!!) they sound like a bunch of bores 😂 travel abroad and then don’t even bother with the culture or local events! Ditch ‘em!

Potatodreams · 09/02/2024 19:29

Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world. I don’t think you were in any real danger.

I agree with those saying that if you go off alone you have to accept that the others might change plans when you’re not there.

upthehills1 · 10/02/2024 13:46

I think YABU. You were comfortable enough to go into the huge crowd on your own to watch the fireworks but you’re annoyed they didn’t wait at the end of the street to walk you 30 mins back to the hotel?

Were you in a particularly dangerous country or city?

It was you who left the group so I think it’s fair enough for them to leave when they wanted to. You need to let this go..

NalafromtheLionKing · 10/02/2024 16:02

Just for context, how old are you and your DC? You mention you are all mums, so do you have a DH/partner you could go on holidays with instead?

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