Am I in the wrong to be pretty mad to my friend Who doesnt come at my home
Hi Reddit, I’m turning to you for some insight. I apologize in advance for the length of this post; I’ll try to keep it brief. I (26F) live in France and I posted about this situation on French subreddits and was curious to see what another community might think. I hope there aren't any language errors in this post; sorry if there are.
A close friend of mine—let's call her S—lives just outside Paris and always suggests we meet at BFM (train station) (a 23-minute trip for her), which means a minimum of two hours of travel time on the RER for me (round trip). I should mention that S grew up in Parisian circles and is used to meeting friends at outdoor café terraces; it’s sort of her "safe place." Having grown up in a more rural area, I don't really have that same connection to terrace bars, and I feel like some of these conversations could just happen over the phone—but S struggles with phone calls.
I’ve been making this effort for years because I know it’s a hassle for S to come to my place, as the journey takes longer for her. For her part, S used to visit me at my mother’s place two or three times a year and stay overnight to make the long trip worthwhile.
Current situation: I moved into my first apartment with my boyfriend four months ago. S and I have met up five or six times over the last few months, and I’ve gone up to her area every single time—while mentioning, increasingly unsubtly, that I was really looking forward to her first visit to my place. Until mid-June, she was very busy working on a thesis (which I proofread before she submitted the final version). That thesis caused her to miss my birthday party in early June, but she had promised to come visit as soon as she had more free time. I should add that I moved closer to Paris, so I’ve shaved 15 minutes off my commute; it takes me an hour to get to BFM now, whereas before it took an hour and fifteen minutes at best.
Here’s the issue: Last Friday, she suggested meeting up the following week but immediately pointed out that she was unusually exhausted and wasn't sure she could make the trip to my place. I suggested she get some rest and come over the week after that, but she told me she was going to Orléans and Étretat with some other friends, so she wasn't sure she’d be available that week either. That was the first thing that left me baffled: you know you can't come to my place—even a week from now—because you'll be too tired, yet you're going to travel to see other people just a few days later?
I don't feel I have any right to dictate how she spends her time, but I did find her a bit tactless in how she put things to me. And I wonder: if she’s so tired, why is she so set on seeing me for just a few hours at a bar instead of inviting me to her place? It’s been over a year since she last invited me over.
Yesterday, she got back in touch—still trying to figure out when I could come up to Paris—saying she really wants to see me but is too tired to make the trip herself, has too much on her plate, *and* would prefer we meet somewhere other than my home because she wouldn't feel comfortable talking in front of my boyfriend.
S knows my partner; they get along well and share common interests. I understand not wanting to discuss her personal life in front of him, but it’s not for lack of me suggesting we go for walks without him, grab a coffee to chat, and so on. I get the impression that being hosted by us as a couple makes her uncomfortable, but it’s a bit annoying to only find this out now, after she’s spent weeks putting off a visit to my place.
Yesterday, I tried to explain my point of view as gently as possible via several voice messages. I told her it was important to me to show her my home, and that I’d like—if possible—for us to talk on the phone or meet at her place, but for longer than just a few hours.
I haven't heard back since—which isn't unusual for her—but I’m left wondering. Am I asking too much? Am I overanalyzing things? I don’t want to lose S; she’s important to me, and I know things are complicated for her right now. However, people close to me say I’m right to feel bothered by this situation and that I need to be firmer and set some boundaries. If you have any thoughts or advice for the next steps, I’m all ears. Thanks for reading!