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I'd like to get feedback on a weird occurrence.
Backstory: Someone I knew in high school sent me a Facebook friend request years ago. I remembered her name, so I accepted the request. It turns out that we have the same politics, so it was not unusual for us to chat about various things.
Now, to the present day. Months ago, she invited me on a trip she was taking with her family. It all sounded great - coming to Europe, visiting a certain place for a few days, then driving somewhere else, then driving to yet another place, then they would drop me off at the airport. Furthermore, she was paying for all of it! My flight ticket, accommodations, etc. Not pocket money, of course, but I didn't expect that.
So. Things went wrong even before I left. I fell and injured myself, necessitating a trip to the emergency room. Fortunately, it didn't prevent me from traveling. I got to the airport the next day, got my bag checked, went to the gate, and waited.
And the flight was delayed.
This was the start of the biggest clusterfuck of a "vacation" I have ever had. This Facebook friend was terrible at communication, expected me to be ready at the drop of a hat, and was driving a car that just wasn't big enough for all of us and our luggage (not to mention souvenirs). As if that weren't enough, it was a nightmare to deal with her. She seemed to view herself as the "star" of the whole group. She berated her husband endlessly, made bad "jokes" about her kids, and bragged about her ability to book the perfect vacation. She was rude to the hotel staff, lambasted a service worker on the phone, and then talked about how wonderful she was at solving problems.
I don't know why she invited me. It wasn't out of generosity, friendship, or a desire to reconnect. I was just taking up space in the car. Her husband and family rarely talked to me, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they resented the fact that I was there. When Facebook Friend got to talking - which was much of the time - everyone else just shut up. I took my cue from them.
Finally, she dropped me off near public transit to get to the airport on my own. It was an enormous relief, even though the injury meant I had trouble managing my luggage. I just wanted to be away from them.
The morning after I returned, I went to Facebook to discover that she'd unfriended me.
So, what's your assessment? What the hell was her motive in dragging me along?
Backstory: Someone I knew in high school sent me a Facebook friend request years ago. I remembered her name, so I accepted the request. It turns out that we have the same politics, so it was not unusual for us to chat about various things.
Now, to the present day. Months ago, she invited me on a trip she was taking with her family. It all sounded great - coming to Europe, visiting a certain place for a few days, then driving somewhere else, then driving to yet another place, then they would drop me off at the airport. Furthermore, she was paying for all of it! My flight ticket, accommodations, etc. Not pocket money, of course, but I didn't expect that.
So. Things went wrong even before I left. I fell and injured myself, necessitating a trip to the emergency room. Fortunately, it didn't prevent me from traveling. I got to the airport the next day, got my bag checked, went to the gate, and waited.
And the flight was delayed.
This was the start of the biggest clusterfuck of a "vacation" I have ever had. This Facebook friend was terrible at communication, expected me to be ready at the drop of a hat, and was driving a car that just wasn't big enough for all of us and our luggage (not to mention souvenirs). As if that weren't enough, it was a nightmare to deal with her. She seemed to view herself as the "star" of the whole group. She berated her husband endlessly, made bad "jokes" about her kids, and bragged about her ability to book the perfect vacation. She was rude to the hotel staff, lambasted a service worker on the phone, and then talked about how wonderful she was at solving problems.
I don't know why she invited me. It wasn't out of generosity, friendship, or a desire to reconnect. I was just taking up space in the car. Her husband and family rarely talked to me, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they resented the fact that I was there. When Facebook Friend got to talking - which was much of the time - everyone else just shut up. I took my cue from them.
Finally, she dropped me off near public transit to get to the airport on my own. It was an enormous relief, even though the injury meant I had trouble managing my luggage. I just wanted to be away from them.
The morning after I returned, I went to Facebook to discover that she'd unfriended me.
So, what's your assessment? What the hell was her motive in dragging me along?