Vacation Plans Ruined by Woman Putting Career First

Half of the fun of a holiday is the planning and anticipation, and things looked all set for four young friends with an upcoming beach holiday.

Meghan and her three close friends had planned and then booked what was possibly their last holiday as a group and they were all excited.

u/Tuntee
AITA for Changing Vacation Plans Due to Work? 
A few months ago, my close-knit group of friends, including Sarah (29F), Jake (30M),  Lily (27F) and I (Meghan29F) , decided to plan a vacation together. Jake and Lily were moving overseas next year so it was probably our last hurrah together. We were excited and spent countless hours discussing destinations, accommodations, and activities. 

After much debate, we settled on a week-long beach getaway. We booked a fantastic beachfront rental and made  reservations for activities like snorkelling, surfing lessons, and a boat tour. 

The excitement was palpable as we counted the days of our much-anticipated trip.

But the other half of the fun is the actual trip itself, so when something unexpected happened that meant that the OP wasn’t going to make it, she knew her friends would be disappointed.

Fast forward to a few weeks before the trip. 

I received some unexpected news at work—a sudden promotion with added responsibilities and a demanding workload. It was a significant career opportunity I couldn't pass up, but it meant I'd have to be present at work during the same week as our planned trip.

I weighed my options and decided to prioritize my new job responsibilities. I knew it would be unfair to my company to take a vacation so soon after this promotion and would be a terrible look. 

Reluctantly, I told my friends about the situation, expecting disappointment but hoping they'd understand.

But disappointment is an understatement. Understanding was missing.

The OP’s friends reaction was surprising to her, as the proverbial s***t hit the fan. Her friends were not happy.

Sarah, Jake, and Lily were shocked and upset. They argued that we had planned this trip for months and that I should have thought about my career before making commitments. It was going to cost them all more money now.

They told me that some of the activities like the boat tour and the surf lessons required a minimum of four people, so they would either have to miss them or pay for an empty seat. 

They told me that this was probably the last opportunity all of us would have to be on holiday together, and that I was ruining it for everyone.

They were right, of course, but my sudden promotion was entirely unexpected.

AITA?

Responses varied, but there were two main threads as you can see in the comments below. It doesn’t seem like the OP even tried to tell the company that she had a holiday planned. On the other hand, her friends reaction was over the top.

u/CompassionateQueen44
YTA You've completely blown this with your friends who will go on holiday without you and probably think of you differently from now on. You should have just told the Company from the start. Did you even ask?

u/ThoughtfulReviewer76
NAH - Sometimes life throws unexpected curveballs. You prioritized your career, which is understandable. Friends should eventually understand, too.