Choosing Work Over Family Vacation: AITA for Prioritizing My Job?
AITA for choosing work over family vacation? Dad insists adults must join, but I opt for job and cash. Last trip was a disaster. Am I selfish or self-preserving?
OP thought Easter in Croatia would be a nightmare, so he did the most logical thing possible, he asked his boss for work instead of sitting around bored in a foreign town. While his family pictured sunshine, sightseeing, and family bonding, OP pictured long car rides, nonstop doing nothing, and a repeat of the last vacation where everyone fought.
The conflict is messy because the trip was planned without his input, and now his dad is pulling the “you’re an adult, suck it up” card. OP is 21, he hates the idea of an 800 km drive just to be miserable, and he also wants the extra store money instead of losing it all to a holiday he does not even enjoy.
And once the Croatia plans collided with OP’s paycheck plan, the whole family dynamic turned into a real Easter argument.
Original Post
My family made plans without my knowledge or consent to go to Croatia for Easter. It's a small town gateway but I (21m) just really don't like spending my time sitting around in foreign places just doing nothing + i can't stand long car rides so i decided to just tell my boss i'm available thru the whole Easter to work at the store so i'll propably get scheduled and earn some bonus money.
My dad is saying that as an adult i have to suck it up and come with them cuz that's what families do but i don't see a point in driving 800 km just to not enjoy myself and miss out on some extra cash. (also last time we went on vacay we just fought nonstop and it was just generally not a good time) Am i the a*****e or am i just choosing me?
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Holiday tension also hits when you clash with tradition, like the AITA fight over modernizing a family recipe.
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OP’s boss availability idea sounds practical, but it immediately puts him on a collision course with his dad’s “family does family” expectations.
Since OP’s family booked Croatia without asking him, the Easter trip already feels less like bonding and more like being dragged along.
Then OP brings up the last vacation, the one with nonstop fighting, and suddenly the argument is not about money, it’s about whether this trip is even worth the stress.
By the time OP counts the 800 km drive against his chance to earn bonus cash at the store, the family disagreement turns into a straight up “AITA for choosing me?” showdown.
We're curious to hear your perspective. Share your thoughts in the comments.
His family wants a vacation, but OP already knows the last one ended in chaos.
Still think you should “suck it up”? See what happened when a family reunion host refused to mediate conflicts.
