Woman Considers Skipping Girls' Trip To Italy Because She Can't Stand Her Friend's Annoying Travel Habits
She doesn't want to deal with her friend's "embarrassing" flight rituals.
Prostock-studio | Shutterstock Traveling with friends can often be a make-or-break experience for friendships, as it brings out both the best and the worst in people.
In a “Dear Jane” submission for the Daily Mail, one woman explained that she was horrified by her friend’s in-flight routine and was thinking about dropping out of a girls’ trip because she was unsure if she could handle traveling such a long distance with her.
She is considering skipping a girls’ trip to Italy because of her friend’s annoying travel habits.
"Dear, Jane. One of my closest friends has invited me away on a girls' trip to Italy this summer — and while it sounds like a dream vacation, there's something holding me back from pulling the trigger on confirming," the anonymous woman began in her confessional. She explained that while she and this specific friend had only traveled together once before, it was enough to leave a lasting impression.
During their last trip together, she recalled her friend's traveling habits absolutely driving her up the wall. Her friend suffers from travel anxiety, which isn't uncommon among many people in this world. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 6.5% of the U.S. population has aviophobia (a fear of flying), and roughly 25 percent experience some sort of flying-related anxiety.
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She claimed that her friend's traveling habits to combat her anxiety include things like spraying a "soothing mist" every few seconds, which she admitted doesn't smell the best, meditating out loud, whispering words of affirmation to herself, and shaking her body to "release the tension."
"These are the things she does to cope; I understand that completely. But it's slightly mortifying to be sitting alongside her while she does this whole routine, and frankly, it ruins my experience when all I want to do is down a glass of red wine and go to sleep on long flights," she continued.
She questioned if she should just book different flights for the two of them, but they live in the same city, so it would be tricky to do it without her friend noticing and getting offended.
It's understandable that this woman would want to prioritize her own comfort on a flight, especially one that is going to be several hours long during their trip to Italy.
She doesn't have to resort to such extreme measures by booking them on completely different flights. Instead, she can just sit away from her — maybe a couple of rows back or even in the aisle right across from her. This way, she can still be there to offer support if needed while also giving herself the space to relax and enjoy the flight without feeling overwhelmed by her friend's routines.
Jane from the 'Dear Jane' advice column recommended that she try to distract herself from her friend's flight routines.
"If all you want to do is down a glass of red wine and go to sleep on a long flight, I strongly suggest you drink that wine, get an eye mask and a very good pair of earplugs to listen to music, or a soporific story that will send you straight off to sleep," best-selling author Jane Green advised.
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Green continued, saying that instead of viewing it as something to be mortified or embarrassed about, she could find some humor in the situation instead. Everyone on the flight is already so preoccupied with their own worries and lives that they won't give a second glance at her friend's various rituals.
Flight anxiety is something that most people deal with and understand, and witnessing someone else cope with it might even evoke empathy and understanding rather than judgment.
By choosing to look at this situation through humor, this woman can alleviate some of her discomfort and focus on enjoying the trip with her friend. It's only a couple of hours in the air, and then they'll all be in Italy with no worries and an endless supply of pasta and pizza.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.