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Woman leaves bachelorette trip after trusting her gut about sketchy men partying with friends

Woman's intuition is right again.

via Nathan Rupert/Flickr

Some girls out at a bchelorette party.

A recent story posted on Reddit shows how sometimes trusting your gut can be the best thing you can do, even if following it will seriously impact your friendships. It all started when a 24-year-old woman with the username Yslbabycat went to a bachelorette party with 5 other friends in Italy.

For brevity’s sake, we’ll call our main character YBC.

One night, the six girls went bar and club hopping and met some new friends. “We met some young people, and they invited us to a party. We went and danced and met more people. The night kept going on longer, and we were very far from our lodgings. These young men with 2 women in their group told us to stay with them for the night,” she wrote.

That’s when she had the first strong gut feeling.

“I wasn’t feeling this situation. It felt unsafe, but the group voted and I was in the minority,” she continued.”I didn’t trust these men. Something seemed wrong. But I was at a loss as I could not split from my group and didn’t feel safe separating from them in the middle of the night.”

Even though the girls locked their doors that night, the men could enter their rooms. But the girls, besides YBC, all wanted to stay another day because the men promised to show them around Italy.

“I didn’t want to get into a car with them because I found them creepy. There were women in their group but it didn’t matter. They seemed even more suspicious to me, being overly friendly,” She continued. “The whole morning, I found the men staring at me a lot and also making some comments about my ethnicity—I am Korean and they could tell and it seemed that they were interested in me because of my ethnicity, asking me strange questions …including if I’m a virgin or not.. so in my head I could only think of perverted reasons for these questions because I thought these guys were sketchy and sizing us all up for some reason I couldn’t figure out yet.”

YBC's friends tried to tell her that it was just cultural differences and that the men weren’t being creepy, but she decided that she wanted to leave. So, she called her boyfriend in France, a few hours’ drive away, to come get her. She met him at a local store, where YBC called the bride-to-be and informed her she was leaving.

The bride-to-be screamed at her on the phone and chastised her for spoiling the “mood of the trip” and told YBC to essentially “f*** off.”

After YBC left, the other 5 girls went on a boat with the men who all tried to get them “extremely” intoxicated. They then began to aggressively pressure the girls into having sex. At the night's end, the girls got away from the men and found another hotel.

Even though YBC’s suspicions were confirmed, the bride-to-be was still upset with her, and YBC did not attend her friend’s wedding.

In the end, Reddit commenters overwhelmingly thought that YBC did the right thing by trusting her gut.

“So all the other girls but the bachelorette confirmed that you were right and the guys were super creepy and yet the bachelorette is still pissed at you for getting yourself out of there?” YouSayWotNow wrote. “All of them are very lucky nothing really bad happened, and frankly, they should be embarrassed they didn't take you seriously at the time.”

“You may have saved the entire group by leaving early, as the men realized that you knew where they lived and could ID them,” RobinC1967 added. “Please don't ever feel bad for getting yourself out of a sketchy situation. Stay Smart!”

Most would agree that YBC did the right thing by trusting her gut and trying to lead her friends out of a potentially dangerous situation. Psychology Today supports her decision to trust her feelings. In an article entitled, “3 Reasons Why You Have to Trust Your Gut,” Susanna Newsonen says that your intuition is encoded in your brain like “a web of fact and feeling” and is helpful because it’s “shaped by your past experiences and the existing knowledge that you gained from them.”

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Pop Culture

Woman breaks down just how much work it took change her last name after getting married

She still stands by her choice.

@chiknnuggiesinmytummy/TikTok

Newlywed Delanie Kristek breaks down the lengthy process of changing her last name

Though the age-old tradition of wives taking their husband’s name after marriage has dwindled somewhat, it is still very commonplace. According to a Pew Research Center survey taken this year, 79% of women reported taking their spouse’s last name when they got married.

But would this custom still be so mainstream today if women were made aware of just how drawn out and mentally draining of a process it can be? Having just gone through it, 27-year-old newlywed Delanie Kristek doesn't seem to think so.

In a now-viral TikTok clip, Kristek recounts the lengthy tale of getting her last name changed, breaking down the stress involved.

Still in the “beginning stages,” as she calls it Kristek has successfully changed her social security and is now onto changing her driver’s license. Even with the “exact instructions” given to her on her NewlyNamed box (a special kit that helps newlyweds keep track of what documents to change), it was “incredibly time consuming."

@chiknnuggiesinmytummy Dont even get me started on our digital footprint and all the places our names are online. #changingyourname #namechange #namechanged #newlastname #lastnamechange #newlymarried #newlywed ♬ original sound - Delanie Kristek

Why? Because "everything's on the government website, which we already know is trash," Kristek explains, adding that "now, post-COVID, I can no longer just show up to the DPS [what Texas calls the DMV], I have to make an appointment. I go to schedule an appointment...all the DPS's near me, in DFW? There's no openings until January 2024. Guess what? I have a flight in December 2023...the name on my ticket is my new last name."

This left Kristek with no choice but to schedule an appointment at a DPS over 40 minutes away.

But that wouldn’t even scratch the surface. She continues, “at that point, I've only changed my social and my driver's license. I've still gotta change my insurance cards, I've gotta change my bank accounts, I've gotta change my passport...Global Entry, which means I'm gonna have to go to the airport."

But wait. There’s more.

"You've gotta change your name in all the systems you're in. Most of us have multiple doctors. I have primary care physician, I have a gynecologist, I have a therapist. There's so many places where my name appears, and now I'm gonna have to go change it. The mental load that it is taking on me...every time I see my name, I'm like, 'Oh my god, that's ANOTHER place I'm going to have to change my name,’” she says.

Understandably, Kristek can’t help but acknowledge that this is a special inconvenience reserved almost exclusively for women in heterosexual relationships, and says that most of their male counterparts "will never understand the mental load and time investment of changing your last name.”

And this is in part why Kristek posted her TikTok.

In an interview with Buzzfeed, she shared her hopes that it would ”shed some light to hetero men so that they can better understand,” and inspire them to help their partner during the process where they can. Whether that's helping directly in the name-change process or even taking on a different task that maybe their wife typically managed. In turn, freeing their wife up with some time and brain space to go through this name-change process."

Still, she stands by her choice to take her husband’s last name. And other than maybe the amount of time it took to get there, she has no regrets being Delanie Roselle Majors Kristek. She just wants others to be fully informed, and therefore more empowered, when going the traditional route.

As she told Buzzfeed, "each couple and person is different, so they need to decide what works for them versus just changing their last name because that's 'the thing you do.' It's time-consuming, it costs money, and there are pros and cons to whatever decision you make. Changing your name after marriage shouldn’t be an automatic yes, it should be a thought-out, conscious decision.”

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Bride who was given 6 months to live celebrates 'miracle' anniversary 20 years later

"For those living with cancer - keep hoping, believing, dreaming."

Canva

Clare Runacres didn't expect to make it to her one year wedding anniversary.

Back in September of 2023, BBC newsreader Clare Runacres celebrated 20 years of marriage with her husband Mike Ramsden. Like many folks in the modern age, Runacres commemorated the milestone by posting a picture of her wedding day onto her social media pages.

While of course two decades of marriage is lovely in its own, it turns out there was even more for Runacres to celebrate. A “miracle,” in fact.

As she explained in her post, the picture was taken only six months after discovering that a cancer she had been diagnosed with during college had returned. What’s more, it was aggressive, with zero options for treatment.

As she explained in her post, the picture was taken only six months after discovering that a cancer she had been diagnosed with during college had returned. What’s more, it was aggressive, with zero options for treatment.

The news prompted the couple to marry immediately, and despite the harrowing news, their special day was “beautiful,” Runacres noted, surrounded by love, tears, friends and dancing til dawn.

But you don’t have to take her word for it, the pure joy is evident in Runacre’s photos. Take a look.

The BBC star told Daily Mail that although she did undergo surgery to remove the new cancer, just before her wedding day her doctors still told her she would probably only have six months to live.

Runacres and her beloved didn’t think they’d make it to their first anniversary. And now, at their 20th, can’t help but get emotional when she sees images from that day.

“Mikey, thank you for taking a chance on me. You're the best person I know. You are my miracle,” Runacres concluded in her caption. “For those living with cancer - keep hoping, believing, dreaming.”

Indeed, Runacres’ touching post inspired optimism to those going through their own difficult health challenges—be it themselves or a loved one.

Take a look as what readers shared:

“This brings me so much joy! My 5 yo has cancer. There’s a 35% chance it will return by the time she’s a teen and the medications are not kind on her poor little body. To have hope in a future like this is beyond words.”

“I’m 4 years in remission of stage 3 bowel cancer, constantly worrying about it returning and reading your post has made my heart sing with hope.”

“As someone diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer 4 months ago, this post has brought me so much joy and hope. Thank you for sharing ❤️”

Others contributed. their own miracle stories. One person commented, “my mom got diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer…October 2009…She’s still here. Cancer free. I thank God for healing and using the doctors and treatment , her survival rate for 5 years was 1%.”

Another added, “I was given 48 hrs to live in fall of 2018. Jokes on them! I’m still here! Don’t ever give up!”

While feelings of hope might not technically change a person’s chance for survival (though many survivors have attributed a key part of their success to optimism), studies have shown that positive thought can at least improve the quality of life for someone dealing with cancer.

And really, on a more universal level, none of us really know how much time we have on this planet. We can do all the “right” things and still get sick. We can receive a life-threatening diagnosis and live on for years after. So hearing stories like this reminds us to treat each day as a precious milestone. And that maybe we shouldn’t hold off on the celebrating.

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Joy

Best man sweetly supporting an emotional groom has people celebrating genuine friendship

Everything about this is beautiful.

Angela Brushe Photography/TikTok

The groom and best man, both named Peter, have been best friends since preschool.

One of the sweetest parts of any wedding ceremony is the moment the couple sees one another for the first time. That first glimpse is often emotional for everyone, but in a society that doesn't see men cry openly very often, it's especially touching to see a groom tear up when he sees his beloved coming down the aisle.

But as one viral video shows, an emotional groom's reaction can be made even sweeter by the reaction of his groomsmen. Ashley Brushe Photography shared the moment a groom named Pete saw his bride, Maddie, and how his best man and other groomsmen empathized with and supported him in a beautiful display of friendship.

We see Pete taking some deep breaths and looking nervous as he prepares to see Maddie, while his groomsmen keep checking on him and smiling. It's clear that the best man is excited for his bestie and eager to see his reaction, but what makes the moment particularly moving is seeing the best man tear up himself.

"One of the most adorable groom reactions I've EVER captured," reads the text overlay on the video. "His groomsmen really supported him through it."

Indeed they did. Watch:

@angelabrushephotography

When Pete saw Maddie 🥹 #fyp #groomreaction #emotionalmoments #weddingtiktok #firstlookwithgroom #weddingphotographer

Along with inquiries about the identity and relationship status of the best man came a wave of comments praising the mens' friendship and vulnerability.

"Men need to realize how masculine it actually is to show emotion," wrote one commenter, adding, "best part of every wedding is the guys' reactions."

"I love this! I love how happy they are for their friend and not trying to hide how emotional they are. Friends for life!" wrote another.

"The blonde guy, we need more people like this, what a lovely friend, he felt every bit of the groom’s emotions 🥰," wrote another.

The best man himself even chimed in in the comments, explaining that he and the groom have been best friends since preschool. Oh, and both of their names just happened to be Peter.

Love comes in many forms, and as these old, dear friends demonstrate, platonic love can be one of the most meaningful and reliable loves we ever experience.

And for those who want to see the bride as well, here you go:

@angelabrushephotography

Didnt expect Part 1 to blow up 🥺❤️ When Pete saw Maddie… including maddie 📸 #fyp #groomreaction #emotionalmoments #weddingtiktok #photographer #sunshinecoastweddingphotographer

Here's to a long and happy marriage and to genuine, lifelong friendships as well.

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