I hate our holiday and want to go home

[Backwoods57]

I need to rant.

Day 10 of a 13 day visit to the UK. We moved to the USA in 2014 and have to come back every year because MIL can't afford to visit us, and is scared of flying. We are in Aldershot/Farnham area. There is nothing to do apart from walk up and down dead high streets. Traffic is terrible, I smell the pollution and cigarette smoke everywhere.

If we don't come we get a massive guilt trip about MIL not seeing grandkids etc.

This trip cost $4000, we have done very little apart from visit family and sit in my SiL's cramped dirty messy house.

2 weeks of my 3 week vacation allowance has been thrown away. I have start working remotely for A. Something to do, and B so I can claim some vacation days back.

I miss my home, our dogs, I miss countryside and wildlife, I want my space back.....and tap water that doesn't taste like bleach.

Woking and Fleet 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫
You're close to New Forest, South Hampton, all the beaches down that way, London the other way, trains, coaches, rent a car, it’s Easter school holidays. Come on. Who drinks tap water? Get a filter jug if it’s that bad! I’m not the UK’s biggest fan as I grew up in Australia and spent time in several other countries but one can adjust for a holiday. You’re in a pretty decent area if you explore more than 15 minutes away!!

Scotland then maybe! The Highlands and Islands are supposed to be epic.

hope OP is ok, this thread has definitely come down harsh on her for the most part.

can sympathise with her feelings but at the same time, 3 weeks and she didn’t even try to go anywhere at all. I mean I get u5 childcare but it can’t be that much more of an issue than rural USA? Or the fact they’ve done this for 10 years, 5 without kids and she has no idea what to do? Smells fishy

also no friends that she can visit here even just for a day? It makes no sense.

To be fair, Aldershot was voted one if the most depressing places in the U.K. But you must have known that OP, if you used to live there!

Taking 5 year-olds shooting is diabolical though. I don't think many would want to join you on that particular holiday. MAGA lot possibly? Middle of nowhere, shooting the wildlife. I think I'd rather be stuck in Farnham, and that really is saying something!

Still my experience and comparison.

Next time you have to come to Europe, stay in a camping site, in a cheaper place in Europe, in a warmer period that coincides with SiL childrens’ school holidays. MiL can take the train

When are you seeing your family and friends?

It’s really not an important skill unless you’re a hunter or prepper………

I don’t get this. It’s illegal to smoke inside any public place in the U.K. I certainly dont see that much smoking outside - no more than the US.
and you’ve clearly never been to Vegas!

Aldershot... Says it all.

This made me laugh a lot. Fancy a day out, I know, I'll go to fleet. Where there is precisely fck all 😂

Perfectly nice place to live of course, but not for a wander!

And Woking, dear god. Really are scraping the barrel. Both aldershot and Farnham stations go straight into London Waterloo in less than an hour. Get out there and do some stuff. Or Alice holt as suggested, could prob get to the coast in an hour too.

Hmm, not sure if you want advice, or are just getting off your chest how much you dislike the uk?! Not everything is so bad in that area as previous posts have stated. Enjoy the spring in the park in Farnham, there's certainly nothing like uk spring in usa. Then you can get back to the chlorinated chicken and fast food in usa!

I’m not being funny but a holiday is what you make it. Stop being a moaning Minnie and get on and do something with your time. It wouldn’t cost too much to hire a car for a few days. If you’re spending 4k on a holiday a couple of hundred is nothing. It’s like you came here with the idea you’d hate it and are doing nothing to change it.

Oh please. You're English. You know the weather is rubbish at this time of year.
You have children, so what consideration did you give them?
A: Plan a more interesting UK holiday - you don't have to spend all 13 days with SIL in her house with nothing to do.
B: Invite and pay for MIL to visit you off-season every other year. You can do it for under $1000. It doesn't involve your holiday leave - and she might be useful in terms of helping with the kids/ your home in the US.
C: Once you've trained up MIL - use your remaining $3000 annual holiday spend to go away with husband and leave MIL to babysit in US.
I can't believe you've been this much of a miserable muppet for the past 10 years, year-after-year and are still married???

If UK scenery is all you know then yes it’s lovely, but once you’ve seen USA scenery … UK seems a bit dull

Ridiculous comparison, @Eastre

I come from the UK and live in Australia. They are entirely different and each extremely beautiful in their own way. Comparisons are entirely pointless. And yes, I've been to the USA too.

Uk is beautiful London and Cornwall or devon or Norfolk or Dorset get out there. Don’t sit in someone’s house!

😂😂😂
sorry not helpful but this made me laugh!
Seems like you resent spending your limited holiday with MIL every year (which is understandable) but lots of good suggestions up thread. go on holiday with MIL to somewhere more of a tourist destination, devon, cornwall, lake district, london, norfolk, edinburgh, Pembrokeshire- loads of places- hire a car so not depending on SIL, go every other year, Whipsnade and Windsor sound nice- did you go in the castle?- I think you need to be more proactive but Im sorry its been so miserable, is your DH having a good time? I hope the last few days of your holiday are better

Holidays are what you make it, why not visit interesting places while there,
instead of having a poor me party ?
When visiting the USA I found the water vile, their chocolate gross too .. feel quite sorry for your MIL your very grudging and rude.

Next year only stay seven days!

Agh, I really feel for you. I think a yearly visit is a LOT, and an unreasonable expectation. I think it’s ok to prioritise your life and your needs. Time off with your own family and for yourself is so precious. As is rest and relaxation. Mil could have a cheap visit to USA if she could prioritise what she wants, and what efforts is she prepared to put into what she wants? It’s not ok to expect everyone else around you to adjust because you’re fearful of something.

Agree! No idea where all of these poor USA tourists are being overcome by cigarette smoke?!

Farnham is lovely. There is a huge park
there and you are not far from a lot of attractions. However I agree with other comments. Rent a cottage somewhere else and take MIL with you. I also think
that every year is too much. MIL needs to stop putting pressure on you

I'm sorry we never got to learn what the worst town in Victoria is ... ;)

I know the Aldershot/Farnham border area well and this spot in the photo will be about a 10-20 min walk from where OP is staying. As many PP have said, a holiday is entirely what you make of it, and for wilderness-loving OP she has spent the last two weeks with this countryside just a stroll away, so it’s a shame if she hasn’t made the most of the beautiful countryside literally on her doorstep.

I would be livid if I had to spend 2 weeks of my holiday sat in my PIL's house. One week last Xmas was bad enough, holiday cottage from now on. You might be able to get a good deal in the autumn if you plan well ahead. I'm sorry that you have to do international duty visits. I thought travelling from England to Scotland was bad enough