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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DP is going on 'finding himself' trip to India for 6 weeks next June, can I vent?

665 replies

stellamel · 29/07/2009 15:28

Just wanted some perspective on this! I am very new to mumsnet. Also am 18 wks preggers with DC2.

Now for his 40th B/day (March this year) DP decided he wanted to go on a sort of 'boys own' trip to India - next June (major project at work finishes then, so he should be able to get a sabbatical, he will quit if not as he hates his job anyway). DP intention is to fly out to India, buy a Royal Enfield motorbike (still made in Dehli), then ride it home to Derbyshire. We've worked out this will take approx 6 weeks - all being well, cost @ £4K (including bike) money we will need a loan for, and take him close to several conflict zones (including Afghanistan) and require him to ride through Iran.

Now aside from all these worries, plus the fact i will have a 6mth old and 4 yr old to look after (I am not the world's most confident parent!) I made a gargantuan effort to see this trip from his point of view and am now on-board with it, and am supporting his choice. However when I declined helping with the logistics, (I pointed out it wasn't something I knew anything about, and as it was his trip it was up to him to sort it out), he was a bit grumbly. I replied I felt pretty proud of myself for even excepting and being happy for him to go away for such a long time, to which he laughed and said 6 weeks wasn't a long time, it was like a summer holiday (I wish i had 6 week summer holidays!), when I said I didn't agree, he just shook his head and said I was being ridiculous - and believe it or not this is what has me annoyed , I'm still behind the trip, but am seething about him belittling what I see as a pretty good thing on my part.

Am I being unreasonable and and silly to expect him to understand that 6 weeks is a fairly long time to go away for?

OP posts:
ssd · 30/07/2009 10:04

he'd do her a big favour NOT coming back, then she could try to meet a man who thinks having 2 kids is a big enough adventure

redandgreen · 30/07/2009 10:04

I tried to find the articles about A Gill and Jeremy Clarkson getting insured for their trip to Iraq (not quite the same I know, but you get the idea here from JC...)

My insurance company reckoned I had a one-in-a-hundred chance of being killed, and charged a premium exactly twice what I'd been offered to write the story. These figures caused some concern on the home front. Adrian's girlfriend made him write a will. My wife, having discovered the insurance would only pay up if I were killed, not if I died of a heart attack, called Adrian with some very specific instructions.

"If he starts to go a bit blue, shoot him," she said. And me? I was worried about the very real possibility of being beheaded, live on the internet. I didn't think I'd be able to go with much of my dignity intact, frankly.

MadameCastafiore · 30/07/2009 10:09

Fecking find himself, he could find himself a a new wife and kids of he were my DH.

6 weeks off on a jolly? He has responsibilities!

Just make sure he is insured up to the hilt -the selfish bastard will at least leave you confortably off!

bronze · 30/07/2009 10:10

"how could he risk his life to find himself? take up skydiving, bungee jumping, theres lots of things that he could do in England without risking his life. "

ssd · 30/07/2009 10:12

he should come to a meet up, for him that would be more risky than his trip

bleh · 30/07/2009 10:16

I think it should go in Classics, particularly the list of ways he could die.

AnyFucker · 30/07/2009 10:20

< marks place for return of OP >

Megglevache · 30/07/2009 10:27
AnyFucker · 30/07/2009 10:32

oi, Meggle! Outta my face !

I'll have you know I was the fifth, yes fifth poster on this thread.

Where were you at the beginning eh eh?

You Johnny-come-latelies, you all just said what I said (and the 4 above me and the other nearly 300 after )

sis · 30/07/2009 10:35

Just told Dh about this and he said shame he has a child other wise he sounds ideal for the Darwin awards.

PlumBumMum · 30/07/2009 10:36

I would have been right beside you anyfucker if I didn't type soooo slow (I was 9th)

PlumBumMum · 30/07/2009 10:37

Fuck sake i really must be a slow typer

AnyFucker · 30/07/2009 10:37

ok, top ten is fine PBM

actually, I would hve been fist with my enraged reaction if I could have typed any faster !

hocuspontas · 30/07/2009 10:40
OhBling · 30/07/2009 10:43

Ahem - I was 4th? But typed too much otherwise I would have been first!

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 30/07/2009 10:50

Well I was nowhere near the top ten but I'm claiming a spot anyway!

Megglevache · 30/07/2009 10:52

You have this all wrong I typed first but type with my third toe (only) and blindfolded so that explains my lateness on the thread.

I hope Stella is ok, if she's feeling a bit down in the dumps some of these comments are sure to cheer he rup and give her some ammo for that "D" um "P" of hers.

stellamel · 30/07/2009 10:53

God, sorry I'm only just back online at work, and I had no idea I'd have so much response to this - have been reading through. I am genuinely stunned by the huge amount of response to my question. Plus am relieved that people seem to think this trip is madness.

Plus some very sobering points have been made about accidents and such-like. Apparently the closet you get to Afghanistan is 50km on the route he plans to take.

My DP had managed to convince me through his incredulity that I was being unreasonable to think it was a bad idea. Majority of family are against it, but realise what he's like, so know he'll be going whatever. My sister is totally for it - she's a life coach and says my issues with it, are just that, my issues, I need to see them as that and then accept it, anything about it that annoys me are aspects of myself coming back at me.

He had travelled the world before for 18 months when he was 30-ish (on a shoestring, no frills), and India was his favourite place he visited. He does ride a motorbike, but he's no mechanic. However he has managed to track down a guy on t'internet who has done the same trip (in reverse), and he has sent him his book and bike manual to help him. He has also possibly got my sister's ex to go with him, tho this is a worry more than a reassurance as said bloke doesn't ride, so has to learn to ride a motorbike between now and June (I can ride and I wouldn't feel confident riding some of the terrain they'll encounter!).

I am believe it or not I'm known as an opinionated and stroppy mare, defo not a Stepford wife! ha ha, so I am not as meek as I seem, but I feel if this trip doesn't go ahead we'll probably not make it anyway due to massive resentment on his part. I kind of realise this is a huge thing for him, that he feels is essential for him to 'grow up' and settle with his family - or maybe I'm putting words in his mouth, or maybe as someone said on here it'll make things worse, I pretty torn by it all.

I feel a bit dammed if I do dammed if I don't. But what I am sure of if I do put my foot down and say 'No', the relationship will go down faster than the Titanic. We are happy, don't get me wrong, but he does have major responsibility issues, and he is a rolling stone (sorry to drag that term up again!). Plus he hates his job and this end of project deadline is what's keeping him afloat. He's a civil engineering project manager, always has been, but before me and DD he was a contractor (free to come and go as he wanted), now he's a staffer, so tied to the daily grind and his blackberry which is the bain of his life. I work 3 days a week and go to college one day to re-train so he can get out of engineering into photophraphy (he's pretty talented).

I just want him to understand that my agreeing to this trip is a fucking big deal and to not belittle this achievement on my part. I do think that he should be genuinely over the moon that I am so magnanimous and not act like I'm making a fuss over nothing, and it's his divine right to feck off for 6 weeks.

He'll be able to get some work when he gets back, he has masses of contractor jobs that he could take at any time.

The tip about the £4K loan being in his name alone is great, I'd never even thought of that. I will insist on it.

You have all made me think I need to sit down with him and really talk about what's going on with him, and why he needs to do this trip, and get some honest answers from him.

Thanks again for making me wake up and see that I am not being a party pooper. That my concerns are genuine, and real.

OP posts:
BitOfFun · 30/07/2009 10:55

I was the first to suggest a kick in the bollocks - I think that gives me some claim to a place in the queue

Megglevache · 30/07/2009 10:56

Your sister is a cock- she shoudl join that Twot of a "p" on the trip

cyteen · 30/07/2009 10:58

'life coach' ahahaha

PlumBumMum · 30/07/2009 10:58

I still think your mad to be give him your blessing

PlumBumMum · 30/07/2009 10:59

Does your sister have any children/responsibilties??

Megglevache · 30/07/2009 10:59

Oh crikey this isn't your sis by any chance is it? If yes, I think you should go on the trip and leave them to it

stellamel · 30/07/2009 11:01

Sister is a single parent with her own DD. But life coaching is all about taking responsibility for your own issues. She would always see it that way

OP posts:
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