By West-Substance3371 • Score: 5 • April 5, 2025 7:05 PM
I (27M) don't have the best relationship with my family, for various reasons my autonomy is always questioned and sometimes is taken away from me altogether.
For my mum's landmark birthday this year (not revealing to stay anonymous), she booked a camping weekend away, buying everyone (who are all either married or in long-term relationships) their own tent. Except me.
I am single, and because of that I am always lumped in with my mum and step dad as the default when making holiday arrangements. However, before my mum made the booking, I specifically said I wanted my own space. She didn't really make any promises but didn't deny it either.
It's now been revealed that without talking with me she booked it so that I am sharing a tent with her and my step dad (separate bedrooms but still the same tent). Everyone else, my siblings and step siblings, have their own tent. I was furious and having a panic attack in the middle of the night because, to me, it was another instance of feeling lesser than because I am single, don't make as much money, am the youngest, and being disabled.
After calming down the following morning, I decided to book my own hotel room that is a half an hour bus journey to the camping site, so am not too far, and I get to have my own space. My mum is angry because this was a weekend where 'we were all meant to be together', and that the cost for each tent was not enough to justify getting another one for only one person. While I am relieved I have my own space, I can understand that to everyone else this may seem melodramatic or setting a precedent for the future of my relationship with my family and may cause more arguments/emotional turmoil than it's worth.
I can't cancel the booking, but AITA for making the booking? Should I do anything to bridge the gap?
EDIT for clarification: My mum hired fancy tents so it was more expensive to rent a tent with everyone than the hotel I got, but possibly the bus fares add up to the same cost anyway to be fair. The booking has been made but the weekend as of the post being written has not happened yet.
EDIT 2: just so everyone is the same page these are the kind of tents I am referring to. I can't borrow a tent and pitch up, I had to hire one of tents on the camping site.
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