Living in a different country to your family can be difficult. Depending on your financial situation and work commitments, you might hardly get to see them. One employee shared how they’re only able to spend time with their family every few years. And always plans well in advance for the trips.

Their next family visit happens to coincide with a colleague’s wedding. And that was okay, until it emerged the colleague had forgotten to put in time off from work for the honeymoon. The bride now expects her coworker to cancel their vacation so she can take two weeks leave. But the employee feels other people’s bad planning shouldn’t be their problem. Bored Panda reached out to them to find out more.

The employee put in their request for time off a year before they planned to travel overseas to visit family

Image credits: YuriArcursPeopleimages / envato (not the actual photo)

Only to be asked by a coworker to cancel it so she could go on her honeymoon instead

Image credits: Oleksandr P / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: GenTube0

The employee shared their story because they needed an “outside perspective from people who weren’t emotionally involved”

“I felt torn,” said the employee during our interview. “On one hand, I didn’t want to seem like the selfish coworker who couldn’t help out someone getting married. But on the other hand, this trip is something I’ve been planning for nearly a year, and it’s my only chance to see my family for a long time.”

They reiterated that because they live so far from their family, they rarely get to spend time with each other. “It’s more than just a vacation—it’s about maintaining relationships and making the most of the limited time we have together,” they told us, adding that their own trip is just as important as their colleague’s honeymoon.

“One of the things this whole experience highlighted for me is how we often view special occasions differently depending on our personal situations. Weddings and honeymoons are undoubtedly huge, but so is reconnecting with family across the globe,” they said. “What’s important to one person might not seem like a big deal to another, but both deserve respect.”

In a twist, the bride did eventually get her time off for the honeymoon

Image credits: Edward Eyer / pexels (not the actual photo)

The employee told Bored Panda they stood their ground and refused to give up their vacation for the bride. They added that they’re still set to go on their own holiday as planned. “My coworker eventually got her time off for the honeymoon, but it wasn’t from me,” they revealed. “Another colleague was able to give up some of their days, and the company made some scheduling adjustments to accommodate her.”

They said things have been awkward at work since sharing the story online. “A few coworkers continue to give off a vibe that I could’ve been more ‘flexible’. That said, I’ve tried to focus on the fact that I’ll get to see my family soon, and I know I made the right choice for myself,” they said during our chat.

“I’m happy for my coworker and her wedding, but this trip holds equal significance in a different way. I would’ve regretted giving up my chance to visit my family.” They said they probably would have stuck with their decision, even if netizens thought they were wrong.

The employee said they were surprised how much attention their story received, and appreciated the support they got online

Image credits: Liza Summer / pexels (not the actual photo)

They said they knew the story would get attention but were unprepared for just how much. “I had no idea it would go viral,” they told Bored Panda. “What surprised me even more was how supportive the majority of the comments were. People really understood where I was coming from, and a lot of them even shared their own experiences of similar workplace situations.”

The employee said the comments made them feel a lot better about their decision. And the positive feedback “really helped me stand my ground.” They added that they work in a small company and most of their colleagues aren’t part of online communities, so they still have no idea the story has been shared on the internet.

The whole saga inspired the employee to encourage other people to share their own stories in a unique way

“Over the past few years, I’ve dealt with a lot of challenges—work stress, personal losses, and feeling like I needed an outlet to make sense of everything,” they shared, revealing that they’d been developing an app called GenTube ahead of the vacation drama. They said the situation had pushed them to continue working on it, to “create something positive out of the whole experience.”

The employee explained that the app is an AI-powered text-to-image art generator that “allows people to turn their personal stories—like mine—into unique visual creations. Whether it’s a workplace dilemma, a personal milestone, or a creative idea, users can translate their words into art.”

They added that the project is deeply personal. And working on it became a way of channeling their  emotions into something meaningful. “I wanted to give others a space to create, express themselves, and find a sense of release through art,” they said. “It’s been my escape, and I hope it can be that for others too. Every image created on the platform is a reminder that we all have stories to tell, and sometimes, art is the best way to share them.”

“Statistically speaking, weddings are no longer once-in-a-lifetime”: People were quick to come to the employee’s defence

One person shared how they only went on their honeymoon long after their wedding

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