'AITA for avoiding going on vacation with my mom because she's a monster to travel with?'

"AITA For avoiding to go on another vacation with my mom?"

Independent-Long1928 writes:

I went on a three-week vacation with my mom. When we landed, I taught her how to check the currency exchange rate, navigate in case she got lost, and remember the hotel name if she ever needed to return on her own. While there was no plan for us to separate, I felt it was necessary to teach her those things in case of an emergency.

However, she got upset when I tried to explain how to order an Uber or show her the location of the hotel. She refused to listen and told me, “I don’t know how, and no matter how hard you try to explain it, I still won’t understand.” It was frustrating that she would not even try to listen.

She often asked if she should buy something for a certain person, and if I said I did not know, she got annoyed. I genuinely did not know whether that person would like it, and I am not interested in those kinds of things.

My opinion does not matter to that person anyway, so I could not give a real answer. Yet she still refused to buy anything, saying, “Every time I ask you, you say you don’t know.” I do not understand how that is my problem.

When it came to eating, I would tell her, “If you find something you like, let me know and we will eat there.” She refused and insisted that I choose because “You know the good ones,” even though it was my first time there too. Somehow, I became a liar for telling her I did not know and that she should pick whatever she liked.

I was also called a liar for not knowing the exchange rate and telling her to Google it. She said she did not know how, and I was the bad guy for showing her how for the twentieth time instead of just Googling it for her.

Before our flight to another city, I wanted to visit a store in the mall just before closing. We went to the mall to look for the store, but she walked slowly, which was fine, except she did not want me to go ahead and look while she walked at her pace.

She also refused to walk faster. I got a little frustrated, and then she said, “So what if you don’t find the store? You’re lying; you don’t even want to buy anything.” I told her I would just go ahead and she could walk at her own pace while I looked. An hour later, I found out she had returned to the hotel and refused to answer my calls because I left her “alone” in the mall. She was angry at me for that.

When we returned home, she told my siblings how “cruel” I was for showing her how to Google the currency exchange rate and for not giving my opinion on what she should buy. I told myself that was fine and decided I would take my next trip alone.

But now she says she wants to come with me again, even though she did not enjoy the last trip. She also mentioned that she is in debt and wants to sell her belongings to pay off the debt and then go with me to shop, which I find strange.

While I am grateful for what she has done for me and for the things she bought me, I plan to cancel that trip and get her a gift instead, since she bought me a camera I really wanted. I will replace the trip with a shorter one to a closer city by myself without telling her.

OP responded to some comments.

quincebush says:

NTA Suffice it to say you and your mother are incompatible travel companions. Your mother takes no initiative and would be better off travelling on a tour where there is a guide and everything is prearranged. Kudos to you for giving it a try but unless you are a glutton for punishment, repeat after me, never again.

OP responds:

She says that "sadly" her only option is to travel is with me, Group tours is not a thing for her, and I was told that its not my business that she wants to sell her stuff to pay her credit card debt and go travel shopping with me, apparently my opinion don't matter.

I was even told that's its not up to me to change plans or cancel, Even though I'm the one paying for myself, that's why i decided to buy her a gift and say that I don't have the money to travel anymore.

LiveKindly01 says:

NTA. All the 'lying' accusations are worrying. I would never travel with this person again, mother or not.

OP responded:

This is what annoys me the most, She always tells me that I know everything and im a lair for not knowing something.

What do you think?