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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/Traditional_Clock303 on 2025-07-19 14:15:20+00:00.

Today I f***ed up by agreeing to go on a weekend trip with a group of colleagues who all share a native language — which I don’t speak. At work, we always talk in our common business language, and everything runs smoothly. So when they invited me on this trip, I thought it’d be a great opportunity to bond outside the office.

The moment the trip started, they immediately switched to their own language. In the car, during meals, sightseeing — the entire time. I barely understood anything. At first, I tried to laugh along and stay engaged, but eventually, I just gave up and started zoning out. Every now and then, one of them would smile at me or translate a joke, but the rest of the time I felt like I was invisible.

I kept hoping they’d include me in conversations using our shared language, even just a little. But it didn’t really happen. I don’t blame them for speaking in what’s most comfortable for them — that’s fair. But I do blame myself for assuming I’d be part of the group dynamic just like we are at work.

Now I’m just stuck on this trip, counting the hours till I can go home, and realizing how much social context changes everything.

TL;DR: Went on a trip with coworkers who all speak the same language — except me. They left me out of most conversations, and now I feel like a background character in my own weekend.