I am planning my 26th birthday and I’m planning a close friends girls’ trip to NYC for the weekend Friday to Sunday. I invited my childhood best friend and her sister, along with one of my closest friends from college. At first, my college friend seemed really excited, but now she’s been saying that the planning is stressing her out, and she’s worried about the cost and “taking time off work” (she works a 9-5, no weekends)
It stings because I made the effort to celebrate her birthday trip — I requested time off work, and when my original flight home was canceled, I had to rebook at three times the price.
We even tried to plan this same NYC trip last year for my 25th, but it fell through because of finances and planning with not much time in advance.
So I can’t help but feel a little upset, almost like she’s preparing me for when she bails on this trip too. Am I overreacting? I completely understand that finances and work are real concerns, but I always try to show up for my friends and make things happen so they feel celebrated. Since I don’t have a big circle of friends, I think I’m taking it harder — it feels like no one is really willing to make the effort for me on the one day that means the most each year.