We’ve all experienced this cautionary tale: you and your barkada get all excited for a trip to the beach/mountains/etc., but after weeks/months/years of planning, nothing happens. Sometimes you can’t help but wonder why even bother planning these things, right?

From last-minute cancellations and seen-zoned chats to empty promises, here are some lines that suggest your barkada trip is about as likely to happen as a pink fairy unicorn sighting. 

1. “I’ll try”

Actually, what your friend is trying to say is they have no plans of joining the barkada trip, and they’re still thinking of a good excuse that won’t hurt your feelings. Just keep your ears peeled for more creative explanations.

2. The busy bee

We all have that good friend who always seems to get in the way of our fun-filled plans, thanks to countless deadlines they’re dealing with.  If you want your buddy on board for this epic adventure, you gotta roll up your sleeves and start helping them chug through that endless pile of work. Who knows, they may thank you by paying for your food and accommodation.  

3. The sneaky flake

Your friend wants to know the dates so they can either have time to save up some cash or know when to disappear into thin air. Don’t worry, your friend’s adventurous self is still there somewhere, buried deep in the abyss of flakiness. 

4. The guest list checker

You best believe that once your friend asks this question, you better have confirmed names of who’ll join the trip because if you don’t, their chances of saying “yes” is as likely as a polar bear surviving in the Sahara. 

5. The homebuddy

Ah, the classic “ang layo naman” excuse. Although it’s true in most cases, some still say this even if the destination is only an hour or two away. Maybe it’s time to start planning vacations on their doorstep so they have no excuse but to join in on the fun. 

6. The unbeliever

The most nerve-wracking part of planning a trip is asking your friends if they’re in. But sometimes, instead of a straightforward “yes” or “no,” they hit you with a classic line, “Tuloy ba?” that’s often loaded with a million possibilities and meanings. Are they in? Is it a subtle shrug? Rumor has it that even researchers have no concrete explanation of what this question actually means.

7. The non-stop reschedule

One of the realities of adulting is you can’t just grab your friend to join you on your travels because schedule conflict is a thing, and people get busy. Yes, even if you bribe them with an all-expenses-paid trip! So, you end up rescheduling and rescheduling until your vacation plans become a distant memory.

8. *Biglang hindi na nagre-reply sa chat*

Well, it looks like no one will ever know if they still want to join because they vanished from the Internet. Did they get sucked into a black hole? Did they lose an internet connection? It looks like we have a modern-day mystery on our hands. 

Do you know any other hilarious no-show on the barkada getaway excuse?

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