Many people have “dream” places they’d like to visit one day. Most of the time, these places are fantasies because the cost of getting there is astronomical. So what would you do if someone offered to pay for you to go to your dream destination? No strings attached, no scams involved, simply a generous offer that turns your dreams into reality. A Reddit user recently got presented with this offer, but he’s set to turn it down. Let’s find out why…
A Guilty Conscience
The original poster (OP) explains that Seoul, South Korea is somewhere at the top of his bucket list. He has always wanted to visit, but unfortunately, he has never felt like he has been in the financial position to be able to justify the trip.
As it happens, one of OP’s best friends also dreams of going to Seoul and is currently planning his trip. OP says that his friend suffers from bad social anxiety, so he has been asking him regularly about going with him.
OP says that his friend doesn’t have too many other close friends, and due to his anxiety, he understands why he wants him to go with him. They have known each other since they were kids, and they have been close for many years.
Recently, they went out for lunch, and OP’s friend offered to pay for OP’s plane tickets and hotel rooms if he went with him to Seoul. Although OP told him that he would consider the generous offer, he is leaning towards saying no because he would feel too guilty about letting his friend pay all that money.
He says that he thinks he would feel like he was taking advantage of his friend and his anxiety, as he likely wouldn’t be offering to pay for him if he wasn’t so anxious about going on his own. So he took to Reddit to ask members of the travel community their thoughts on the situation. If others were in his position, what would they do?
Urging OP to Go
The travel-keen Reddit community mainly agreed that OP should take his friend up on the offer. Understanding his guilty conscience, however, they also offered him advice on how to deal with it. One person said:
“Just go, he obviously thought about this for a long time and offered it for a reason. Pay him back in other ways if you can financially afford it. If he needs a ride, offer to drive, if you’re going out for a drink, shout his drink, if he’s moving, help him move. While in Seoul if he wants to check something out, but you aren’t keen, still go with him and hype him up.”
Another user who has paid for trips for his friends offered a perspective from the other side of the fence. They said:
“I make a lot more than my best friend, and I’ve treated him to plane tickets and hotels a couple of times. I’d be crushed if he said no because he’s my best friend, and I love being able to travel with him. He wouldn’t be able to afford it otherwise so it makes us both happy. Your friend wants to share it with you – go and have a great time!”
What would you do if one of your closest friends offered to pay for you to go with them on a dream vacation? Would you snap their hand off or feel too guilty to accept? Let us know in the comments.
Read the full story here. This article is produced and syndicated by The Impulse Traveler.
