Traveling together is often the ultimate relationship test. It shows how well you handle money, spend long stretches of time side by side, manage stressful moments, and even deal with something as simple as food choices. In short, it’s a fast-track way to see how compatible you really are—and it can either bring you closer or drive you apart.
For one woman, her first vacation with her new boyfriend fell firmly into the second category. He failed to take care of himself, ended up with severe sun poisoning that made the trip miserable, and revealed other red flags that left her questioning whether he’s truly the right partner for her.
Now, she’s asking Reddit if ending things is the right choice or if she’s judging him too harshly.
The woman was excited for her first vacation with her new boyfriend
Image credits: freeograph / freepik (not the actual photo)
But the trip revealed sides of him that made her question if they should be together at all
Image credits: wayhomestudio / freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: hryshchyshen / freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: standret / freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Friendly-Cat9817
Breaking up is harder than it looks
Starting a relationship is often the easiest part. We fall in love, feel that intoxicating cocktail of excitement and novelty, and can’t wait to start a new chapter in our lives. In those early stages, many of us go above and beyond to impress our partner, doing everything we can to keep the spark alive.
But as time goes on and comfort sets in, that magic can fade, and sometimes, it leaves us questioning if the person we’re with is truly right for us.
That’s exactly the situation the woman from the story above found herself in. What was supposed to be a fun vacation with her new boyfriend turned into a wake-up call. Instead of enjoying their time together, she found herself dealing with his jealousy, poor self-care, money issues, and, ultimately, sun poisoning that left him too sick to participate.
Now she’s stuck with the big question: should she walk away, or is she being too harsh?
If that sounds familiar, it’s because many people struggle with the same thing. Research has shown that anywhere between 23.5% and 47.1% of adults feel they lack the skills to end a relationship properly. Knowing a relationship isn’t working is one thing, actually breaking up is something else entirely.
So why is it so difficult to take that final step? Psychologist Jeffrey Bernstein, Ph.D., points out that the root causes often go deeper than we realize.
Relationship struggles can come from a lack of trust, clashing values, or unmet needs, but they’re often made worse by toxic thought patterns. Maybe we start jumping to conclusions, throwing labels at one another, or blaming each other for circumstances outside of our control. Instead of addressing the real problems, we end up stuck in a cycle of negativity that makes it even harder to let go.
Beyond that, there are the emotional hurdles: fear of being alone, guilt about hurting the other person, financial dependence, or even the lingering hope that things will magically improve if we just wait a little longer.
Social pressure can play a role too—nobody wants to feel judged by friends or family for ending something that “looked fine” from the outside.
At the end of the day, breaking up is hard because it forces us to let go of not only the person but also the future we imagined with them. But as experts remind us, staying in a relationship that no longer feels right only delays the inevitable.
If your heart isn’t in it anymore, reflecting on these common barriers can help you see whether you’re truly holding on out of love or simply out of fear of letting go.
The author shared more details in the comments
Many readers agreed she was justified in wanting to break up
While others argued her reaction was too harsh
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