A group of my friends and I go on a girls’ trip every year. This time, it was my turn to plan. I found the right cabin on the lake, but what was supposed to be a fun vacation turned into a frustrating ordeal.
The cost of the house was $2,000, which is $250 per person. There were eight of us. Before the trip, everyone agreed to pay me back, but reason after reason kept coming up.
Brittany said she had school loans, Mary said her car needed new brakes, and Melissa said she needed to wait until she got paid next. What the others did was radio silence.
Even though I reminded them several times, they kept making excuses. It was clear they were taking advantage of the fact that I trusted them.
I came up with a plan because I wanted to teach them a lesson. I texted them the night before our trip, acting excited. I stocked up on food and got the cabin ready the next morning.
But when they got there, the cabin was locked, and I had taken the keys. They started making hurried calls and texts.
“I forgot the keys at home,” I said to sound sorry.
But I wasn’t going back. But instead, I went to a nearby café and relaxed while they waited.
Their words got more important, and some of them got emotional.
That’s when I told them the truth: “I’ll be back once everyone has sent their rent.”
The answer came right away. My phone was full of alerts from PayPal, Zelle, and Venmo.
In less than an hour, every penny was found.
When I got back to the cabin, they were very happy. Some said sorry, and others smiled like they were sorry.
Even though the weekend was a little awkward, we still had fun sailing, roasting marshmallows, and chatting.
They learnt in the end that breaking promises has consequences.
Mary said she was sorry for what happened in the car, and Brittany said she knew she should have put friendships ahead of loans.
We learnt important things from the situation: sometimes you have to be assertive to stand up for yourself, and respect works both ways.
Even though it wasn’t the relaxing weekend I had planned, it turned into a story I will never forget.
People often say that the best lessons come when you are determined and a little frustrated.
How would you have handled things differently?
