May 28, 2026 at 5:45 am

An Exchange Program Friendship Group Starts Falling Apart After One Student Feels Left Behind

by Sarrah Murtaza

Woman in white shirt upset

Pexels/Reddit

Some friends really don’t deserve your time and effort and this story is a proof of that!

This woman shares how her friends abandoned her on her Erasmus trip and blamed her for everything.

Check out the full story.

AITAH for going on a trip without my best friends after they excluded me from our dream plans first?

I (22F) am wondering if I’m the reason my friend group of 3 years completely fell apart.

I had dreamed of doing Erasmus (European exchange program) for years. I convinced my friends “Molly”, “Jessica” and “Rachel” to join me.

This is where things get bad between them…

Before we got there, I was found out I was placed in a dorm on the opposite side of the city from the other three. The first few days they let me stay with them, since I was scared of going to my own dorm, alone.

We had planned months in advance that we’d get to know the city: see the cathedral, walk the city center, and eat a warm street pretzel.

One day, while I was buying a router for my room, the other three went downtown to run some errands. Later that day, I saw them all over Instagram.

UH OH…

They went to the center, saw the cathedral, and ate the pretzels, basically fulfilling our group “dream” without me. I felt stabbed in the back.

The next day, Jessica came up to me and gave a half-hearted apology: “You probably saw our stories last night, we hope you’re not mad, we just kinda ended up there. The pretzel wasn’t even that good anyway.” I pretended it was fine, but I was hurt.

Couple days later, we were all talking about our next trip and how we could take it with some of our other friends who were also doing Erasmus.

She could sense what was happening…

The next day was the only day they could make it, because after that their classes were starting. Molly said she couldn’t go because she was waiting for an important package and Jessica said she would hang back with her.

I invited Rachel directly, but all she said was: “I think we’ll stay home. You guys go and we’ll go another time.” We replied: “Okay, we’re likely going tomorrow on the 8:30 AM train. Let us know if you change your minds.”

Their final words were, “We’ll let you know.”

The next morning came. No texts. No calls. We assumed they weren’t coming and we took the train. We had a great time and sent a photo in a common group chat.

The vibe turned icy after that.

That’s INSANE!

A few days later I asked if everything was okay, they blew up at me and said: “We are upset because you left without warning us.” “We spent days helping you settle in and this is how you pay us back?” “A simple text would have avoided this.”

I was shocked. I told them we discussed it the night before and they never gave a clear answer.

I even pointed out that they went to the city center/cathedral without even mentioning it to me, which was in my opinion much worse and and I didn’t even make a fuss about it.

After that, the group was never the same. They started to do everything together (including other trips), and even after we returned home the dynamic was off.

She has stopped trying at this point…

I was being actively left out of the group hang outs and I simply got tired of it. I stopped calling or texting.

No more happy birthdays after that, also my grandma died a few months back, no one reached out… we just stopped all communication.

Could I’ve done something different or was I just the easy target for a group that had already moved on without me?

OUCH! That sounds heartbreaking…

Why would they leave her out like that?

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a group of students forced to clean the lab for a visit who decided to make things as memorable as possible.

Let’s find out how people on Reddit responded to this one.

That’s right! This user knows they treated this girl badly!

Screenshot 2026 05 27 125312 An Exchange Program Friendship Group Starts Falling Apart After One Student Feels Left Behind

This user understands how the friends are trying to guilt trip this woman.

Screenshot 2026 05 27 125327 An Exchange Program Friendship Group Starts Falling Apart After One Student Feels Left Behind

This user believes none of this is falls on this woman!

Screenshot 2026 05 27 125344 An Exchange Program Friendship Group Starts Falling Apart After One Student Feels Left Behind

That’s right! This user knows the three friends are well aware of their actions.

Screenshot 2026 05 27 125411 An Exchange Program Friendship Group Starts Falling Apart After One Student Feels Left Behind

This user thinks they showed their true colors and set this woman free!

Screenshot 2026 05 27 125259 An Exchange Program Friendship Group Starts Falling Apart After One Student Feels Left Behind

Somebody needs to run away from these so called friends!

Sarrah Murtaza | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Sarrah Murtaza is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and interpersonal drama. With nearly six years of experience in digital publishing, she excels at identifying compelling, community-driven conversations and elevating them into highly engaging narratives.

Sarrah brings a unique, narrative-focused approach to her journalism. Drawing on her professional background as a screenwriter and director, she has a sharp editorial eye for human conflict and motivation. This allows her to transform everyday online dilemmas and relationship dynamics into well-structured, empathetic stories that resonate deeply with readers.

As a dedicated remote professional, Sarrah uses her location independence to travel the world, bringing a diverse and exploratory perspective to her writing. When she isn't crafting stories, she can usually be found exploring a new city or working on her latest creative project.

Connect with Sarrah on Instagram and read her extended essays on Medium.