First and foremost, my spouse and I didn't reeeeaallly know what we were getting into with this vacation, though the friends we went with kept their part in the sense of doing the two big things they said they wanted to do with us - go to the zoo and to a science center (But while we did these together, while we were there, we were split up in two groups and not around each other, enjoying each others time.)
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It's as if they said, "Okay, we'll do this and this, period. I dunno what else to do. So, I'll see this family member here and then we'll go see these people here, and I have an appointment here, and a hair cut here, and another appointment here for something different, oh, and more family time here!" It doesn't seem like at one point they even thought, 'oh, we have friends with us! let's show them around!' ... We're stuck waiting on them and driving them around... It's like, 'hello? we're on vacation too...'
-- -- --
Thinking it would be a fun idea to go out with friends on a vacation for a few days, I and my spouse decided we would get together, take the best of two vehicles, and head out to a new place with our two friends. Needless to say what the location is, it involved our friends families with hopes that my spouse and I would be able to explore and go on adventures as we do on every vacation.
Not. This. Time.
To tell you the truth, it's not all bad, but let's start with the all bad: We became tools. No, seriously, we've been used by our friends as Chauffeurs to drive them around everywhere. And every time we drive them around to do things -we- want to do, they (one, the other, or both) get it done quickly and then go on with this "Okay, need to see the family now," making us feel like we need to hurry cause they're making us feel like we are dead weight. There have been times were we've felt like complete third wheels in a group of five people, and other times were we've discussed in private about how much money we have left in our budget to survive for so many days left.
I personally feel a little abused and hurt. I was told we would all be doing things together. We'd be ice skating and roller-durbying, we'd go to the zoo (did that) and the science center (did that too), go to lots of restaurants (we went to a pizza parlor...) and drive around checking out the sights... No, instead one of the friends is with their family and the other has sent up an entire day for a few appointments back-to-back... Yeah, that's very vacation-fun for you, let's go sit at a doctors appointment and just wait. Heck, if I wanted that, I would have stayed at home.
It's been driving them around, taking them around, and not getting to do what we wanted to do *with them*. In the end, it felt as though we were simply used for them to come see their families and leave us high and dry. And did I mention kids? My spouse and I *hate* kids, and yet, we had to fork out $150.00 for two nights in a hotel so we could get decent sleep and use the shower for as long as we feel is proper. (I'm certain some have had the shower limits of only 10mins or something, but my spouse and I love long showers! When we are guests, we try not to complain in person and we try to respect others.)
So lets focus on some of the fun stuff: the fact of being somewhere new is kinda cool, the scenery is amazing, the weather is fabulous, and the food that we've had (bbq with their family and the pizza they bought us) was just delicious. The fact that they're paying for gas on the way home (Which is half-a-day drive, I sh** you not) is excellent, and we like the fact that we are able to do some things with them from time to time... (But not the things we were promised, not the things that were made into a huge big awesome deal when we spoke about them before this trip.)
With that rant and rave out of the way, I wonder if it was all worth it? I'm paying back a chunk of money to my spouse on what she has forked out. She won't allow half, so we've agreed on a small sum. I'm also paying some back to the friends though I feel pretty hurt on how the trip turned out. It's just - it's not interested like we were lead to believe, you know?
Was it worth it to you?
Would you do this?
-- -- --
It's as if they said, "Okay, we'll do this and this, period. I dunno what else to do. So, I'll see this family member here and then we'll go see these people here, and I have an appointment here, and a hair cut here, and another appointment here for something different, oh, and more family time here!" It doesn't seem like at one point they even thought, 'oh, we have friends with us! let's show them around!' ... We're stuck waiting on them and driving them around... It's like, 'hello? we're on vacation too...'
-- -- --
Thinking it would be a fun idea to go out with friends on a vacation for a few days, I and my spouse decided we would get together, take the best of two vehicles, and head out to a new place with our two friends. Needless to say what the location is, it involved our friends families with hopes that my spouse and I would be able to explore and go on adventures as we do on every vacation.
Not. This. Time.
To tell you the truth, it's not all bad, but let's start with the all bad: We became tools. No, seriously, we've been used by our friends as Chauffeurs to drive them around everywhere. And every time we drive them around to do things -we- want to do, they (one, the other, or both) get it done quickly and then go on with this "Okay, need to see the family now," making us feel like we need to hurry cause they're making us feel like we are dead weight. There have been times were we've felt like complete third wheels in a group of five people, and other times were we've discussed in private about how much money we have left in our budget to survive for so many days left.
I personally feel a little abused and hurt. I was told we would all be doing things together. We'd be ice skating and roller-durbying, we'd go to the zoo (did that) and the science center (did that too), go to lots of restaurants (we went to a pizza parlor...) and drive around checking out the sights... No, instead one of the friends is with their family and the other has sent up an entire day for a few appointments back-to-back... Yeah, that's very vacation-fun for you, let's go sit at a doctors appointment and just wait. Heck, if I wanted that, I would have stayed at home.
It's been driving them around, taking them around, and not getting to do what we wanted to do *with them*. In the end, it felt as though we were simply used for them to come see their families and leave us high and dry. And did I mention kids? My spouse and I *hate* kids, and yet, we had to fork out $150.00 for two nights in a hotel so we could get decent sleep and use the shower for as long as we feel is proper. (I'm certain some have had the shower limits of only 10mins or something, but my spouse and I love long showers! When we are guests, we try not to complain in person and we try to respect others.)
So lets focus on some of the fun stuff: the fact of being somewhere new is kinda cool, the scenery is amazing, the weather is fabulous, and the food that we've had (bbq with their family and the pizza they bought us) was just delicious. The fact that they're paying for gas on the way home (Which is half-a-day drive, I sh** you not) is excellent, and we like the fact that we are able to do some things with them from time to time... (But not the things we were promised, not the things that were made into a huge big awesome deal when we spoke about them before this trip.)
With that rant and rave out of the way, I wonder if it was all worth it? I'm paying back a chunk of money to my spouse on what she has forked out. She won't allow half, so we've agreed on a small sum. I'm also paying some back to the friends though I feel pretty hurt on how the trip turned out. It's just - it's not interested like we were lead to believe, you know?
Was it worth it to you?
Would you do this?