To ask what you dreamed would be fabulous but is actually maybe a bit shit

[hitsvilleuk]

I think this about lots of things to do with celebrity lives, when I was younger I thought it all would amazing now not so sure.

A particular one I have is that I always longed for a villa on the Italian lakes. We went to a hotel there one year for 5 days ( in the same village as George Clooney ) It pissed down for 3 days. Everything was dark and damp and that combined with the endless queuing for flights and the thought of maintaining a property in another country sort of did for the dream. Not achievable without a lottery win anyway but now I don't even want it.

Anyone else got stuff like this or that they actually got and then thought 'meh'. I seem to have it about more and more things as I get on - I just don't want stuff anymore. Is it just to do with age?

Goa - Place is full of people finding themselves while dodging soap and the beaches are not that great.

Malibu beaches are not as
amazing as I was lead to believe. I don’t like LA having spent a lot of time there I can count on one hand places I like

Mad Men I was so bored

Oh & I fucking hate Legoland

I think dogs are a bit like children. Unless you've really always wanted one, don't.

Being an adult. It's shit and I give it one star. In retrospect, I was at my best aged 8 to 11. Fulfilling all my potential and living my best life

I'd widen my range up to 17 but yeah best days ever.

[quote sueelleker]@SpnBaby1967 Our coach driver warned us about the camel rides before we got there; also about people wanting to take your photo.[/quote]
I wish we had been told. We did get warned at the airport to hold on to your luggage as there was hoards of Egyptian men in the carpark who would literally fight you to take your luggage and then not give it back till you paid them. Even the staff doing the baggage x-ray demanded money! We went in 1999 and I'd never go back.

@Bella43

Here's another crap experience. I went out with someone I thought was drop dead gorgeous. Turned out that he thought that of himself too. Such a turn off. He literally walked about thinking he could be with any woman in the world and I was lucky to be on his arm. He loved a mirror. Gorgeous face. Shame about the personality. Taught me that looks aren't everything. Still fancy Robert Pattinson though 💖

Like a beautifully gift wrapped package with a disappointing gift, or even nothing at all, inside it.

borntobequiet l'm afraid my teenage self has let both of us down - it wasn't a nice Rioja, it was Thunderbird! Still wasted on that bloody goat, though ...

@iamthesandstorm

mousetrap. .always wanted this game as a kid..dd got it one year..It is shite!

My DD LOVED Mousetrap - but TBH didn't like playing the game.

She just built things with the bits and played with the mice - I would hear her having little mouse-related conversations and "doing the voices".

The yellow mouse was her favourite and invariably ended up with the best house, best food etc and a nice little bed with a pretty fabric "duvet" over it.

It is true about too much choice in the shops and that can be a bit shit!
The choice of things to buy is a big turn off for me. If I want new paint colours or a new duvet set there are literally hundreds to chose from and I can never make up my mind, or end up getting the wrong one.
Walking around these big diy places give me a headache and I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all and just how much stuff there is that I like and can't decide between! It's a bit easier to buy on line , although I've gone wrong there too or bought it and not liked it or it's not the correct size or material. Same goes for clothes. Looks ok on hangers but not on me most of the time especially summer clothes or dresses which make me look ' stout' !

@HelloMissus

The Grand Canyon. The plane ride from Vegas was fucking terrifying. And the Canyon itself was, well just a canyon. Then that bloody plane ride back.

I was beginning to think i was alone in that experience!

Watching Chicago on the West End. I fell asleep, it was so dull !

The original line-up of the revival with Ute Lemper and Ruthie Henshall was amazing. Saw it again many years later and it was like a mediocre senior school play. It was embarasssing to watch.

@bluetongue

Buying my first home. Thought it would be like the adverts with feeling giddy at having my own place at last and doing DIY every weekend with music playing in the background. Sure, it’s better than private renting but that’s like saying a migraine is fantastic because it’s not a brain tumour.

Truth is I hate DIY and gardening. Getting quotes from tradespeople is shit. Houses are money pits and a constant source of money. Worst thing is if you get a bad neighbour you can’t just move to a new rental once the lease is up.

It’s way too much adulting for me.

Oh yes, I so agree with this! I’m way past my first house and now I’m older and not so mobile I’m finding my house and garden like a millstone around my neck. As for tradesmen, you’re lucky if they even reply to your enquiry, let alone give you a quote! Ideally, I would love to move to a bungalow but their prices are prohibitive and ones in retirement complexes have the monthly service charge on top!

I'm so happy to hear Hawaii is rubbish and expensive @LeftToRight, when we lived in Canada and were booking a holiday before we left to return to the UK we could afford a fabulous resort in Mexico or a so-so accommodation in Hawaii. We chose Mexico and I've always wondered if we should have gone to Hawaii as I might neverget the chance again.
I don't care how many people come on now saying Hawaii is fabulous I'm sticking with your opinion. 🙉

@theDudesmummy we did the same about 18 years ago. It was our first holiday with baby dd. We booked a 2 week package holiday purely because it was easier to get a visa that way.

We checked into the hotel and then buggered straight off. We travelled around, staying in Havana and a couple of small towns. Had a great time. Went back to the souless resort hotel for the last night before our flight home.

@Tiktokersmiracle

I used to read Mum Blogs when my DCs were small. One was utterly enthusing about Camp Bestival festival, how it was wonderful for young families, there was so much to do, all reasonably priced. More on in the day than the evening.

Yeah right. Talk about a paid review.

We went the next year, I wanted to go home after the first day. Don't get me wrong, weather was lovely, but everything was an extra. Everything was really expensive, queues were never ending. Maybe because the DCs were under 5 but it was hard work. DS was in a buggy, and all the campsites are at the bottom of huge steep hills, which were difficult to push a buggy up. Food costs were eye watering. Everywhere we went, kids were driving people mad for cups as apparently they got 5p per cup handed in.
Never would I ever again.
On the last night someone took over the PA system at 3am, woke the entire campsite up.

Oh and for a "family Friendly" festival, none of the toilets were big enough to bring a buggy in.

Last time I read and followed a blogger review.

Ha ha yes! I agree. Dragging all the stuff from the car park to the camping area with DCs was awful. We were supposed to be in the ‘family camp’ quiet zone but were still kept awake by people drinking and shouting all night. DCs hated the portaloos and would only use the composting toilets which were only on one side of the site (so a long trek).

We even took one of those trolleys people raved about so the DCs could sit in it when they got tired - the bloody thing was a nightmare to pull around especially up the hills. When we eventually got to see a concert I liked, DCs moaned so much that they were tired (they couldn’t sleep in the damn trolley because they kept being bashed into by drunken people) that we just went back to the tent and listened to the music from a distance. DH said we could have just sat in the back garden at home and put some music on . Cost a fortune too.

Their were a few highlights, which were mainly the performances by smaller artists out of the way of the main stages.

I do take the DCs to events and performances, but will never go to a festival again.

@cariadlet yes we also had a great time. We also managed to go to Santiago de Cuba (amazing music venues, although in one I had to pee in a hallway because I didn't have the right coin to open the toilet door...that's another story) and to nearly get arrested by the US military poking around the fence around Guantanamo Bay (just a naval base in those days).

I ❤️ my Soda Stream

Snag tights and molke bras. As a plus size woman I was so looking forward to them. Seemingly I'm in between sizes for snag and molke just make me look flat.

Diamorphine and morphine - thought would be amazing but when I've had them (in hospital) mainly made me feel a bit zonked and very itchy.

Love this thread, no longer feel like I've missed out by not having visited NYC or LA! I loved Les Mis and Wicked, Paris was fine but mainly because it was our honeymoon and the hotel was amazing. Loved Venice, but we went in March, it was quiet and the weather was cool and misty which made it feel quite magical.

A fancy wedding venue. Wish I'd got married in a registry office with just witnesses and spent that 3k on a holiday. Maybe had a party in a village hall .

Oh... and the wedding photographer! We are introverts and look unatural in the professional photos. The best photos are ones our friends took which are completely natural.

@bathmatty
I loved Istanbul. Only went because DD wanted to, but I’d love to go back someday. Preferably not with the current president. I also love Lisbon and have been many times.

Sweaty Betty running leggings. Lusted after them for ages, I just look like Nora Batty running down the street in them, they’re the cheapest feeling most rubbish workout wear ever!

@bluetongue

Buying my first home. Thought it would be like the adverts with feeling giddy at having my own place at last and doing DIY every weekend with music playing in the background. Sure, it’s better than private renting but that’s like saying a migraine is fantastic because it’s not a brain tumour.

Truth is I hate DIY and gardening. Getting quotes from tradespeople is shit. Houses are money pits and a constant source of money. Worst thing is if you get a bad neighbour you can’t just move to a new rental once the lease is up.

It’s way too much adulting for me.

Same - saved 10+ years for the dream - paid for the full structural survey to avoid nasty pit falls. It was a money pit - we sunk a small fortune into it doing all the unseen unsexy stuff and never had money to do decorating we wanted - at time in our lives we had least money. Neighbourhood never made us welcome and we has nasty neigbour always finding fault and bitching to everyone about us.

In end it sold for less than we bought it for - and we were stuck there longer than we wanted.

Our second house has been great but previous owners buit it up from ruin and had good relations with entire neigbour and we've benefited from this. Though we do have some jobs coming up and we'll have to find tradesmen again.

Plants - been a few plants I've alway wanted to own and everyone has been meh pretty for short period then just there.

Victorian market - finally got to go to one in my 40s having heard since a child from my primary school teachcer how great they were - they were involved in running a local one - was very disappointing same type of stalls over and over and little else.

I've enjoyed motherhood and pet ownership so I'm probably doing well overall.

Diving in the Great Barrier Reef. It was cold, I felt so sick from the boat journey and the journey was so long. When we got there the visibility was rubbish. I saw one turtle...I think! 🤣

Brilliant thread! I’m suddenly feeling grateful instead of remorseful about not having the opportunity/ funds/ time to visit certain places or try certain things thanks to less than appealing reviews of them on here!

For me:

Cats the Musical. Found the adults in cat costumes pretty creepy. Have loved every other musical I’ve seen though (including Matilda).

Living in a house that backed onto woodland. Yes it did feel quite peaceful but from late afternoon millions of mosquitoes and midges would descend and linger around the garden all night so I never wanted to be out there.

Centerparcs. Well, we did enjoy it I suppose, but not enough to feel it was value for money. Thought the play areas in particular were underwhelming and disappointing. Also, having been to a CP on mainland Europe I’d expected to se the tropical birds flying free inside the dome and little river/ stream with terrapins and fish also, but saw no sign of it at Elveden which was a shame as DC would have loved it. Plus the oven was shit in our lodge and burned the underneath of everything we cooked, no matter what. Have seen others claim similar so it wasn’t just us!

Newborns. Quite honestly the periods when my DCs were all under 6 months old were the toughest of my life as I don’t cope well with sleep deprivation and had hard recovery from CS each time. Plus endless colicky crying... yet whenever I saw anyone they’d say ‘enjoy this special time, it goes too quickly’. Hmm, for me personally it couldn’t go quickly enough, I’ve enjoyed all other stages of toddlerhood, childhood etc better though DC1 is only 10 so I appreciate that is liable to change soon.

Whale watching has always been on my list, but as I’m prone to sickness on small boats I’d better cross it off!

Paris... admittedly haven’t been for 10 years but actually loved it. Although the best bits were exploring side streets and less touristy areas, and loved Canal St Martin area in particular. Bought the best, ripest strawberries from the nearby market along with fresh pain au chocolats from a bakery and just sat on a bench overlooking the canal and the quaint bridges that featured in the Amelie movie. That’s the same in any city we visit, though, you find hidden gems and architecture (not to mention the most authentic restaurants) by turning onto side stresses and quieter areas.

Never encountered any rude Parisians, to the contrary in fact. Once DH and I stopped on the pavement to check the map as we were a bit lost and a local lady stopped with a smile without us even asking and pointed out the way. Then in a restaurant I was trying to ask in rubbish schoolgirl French which beers were on tap- on hearing my literal clumsy translation of ‘on tap’ the waitress broke into hysterics and gave DH the drink that then came from tap (whatever the French term is, I still don’t know) for free, plus very friendly service the whole evening.