Would you accept a monetary gift from a friend?

[lph]

I agree with the others, (though I'd probably struggle with feeling uncomfortable too) but remember as Thorn said - she's not really giving you cash or a monetary gift, she's giving you the gift of being there and sharing this trip, because it will make her happy as well. You will be giving her the pleasure of your being there, so she benefits too.

I am sure she would like nothing more than for you to accept graciously. You can always consider paying her back with a gift of your time spent on a shared activity, rather than in money.

[artifactos]

Others have said most of what I have to say regarding acceptance or not.

You could make a scrapbook of the trip (and perhaps prior years) or a handmade gift personalized for her as a lasting thank-you!

[ny biker]

My $.02 is...it depends on the friend.

I used to have a good friend whose family had plenty of cash. He liked to buy things for his friends. He always insisted on picking up the check at restaurants. One day he showed up at my door with an air conditioner, because I didn't have one (never had one in my life until that day). He'd been at an estate sale and saw it and thought I could use it.

He once offered to lend me $100,000 to buy a condo. (I did not accept.)

Some years later, after we were no longer friends, I heard he bought a car for another friend because he felt her car was not safe.

He also enjoyed micromanaging the lives of the people around him. He got angry if he gave us advice and didn't accept it without question. Oh, and once he told me that his parents didn't like any of his friends because they thought we only liked him for his money. Which wasn't true, but I could certainly understand why his parents might have that concern. (Then again, it doesn't say much about what his parents thought about their own son if they didn't think anyone could like him for himself.)

Now, that's just my experience with one person. If a friend is offering money for you to join her on a trip because she truly wants your company and there are no strings attached -- explicity, passive-aggressively or otherwise -- then by all means go and enjoy each others' company. But if you think you might wind up paying for your trip in some other way, either now or in the future, then I'd think twice before accepting.