It’s commonly said that almost half of marriages end in divorce. On traveler shared a snapshot of just how quickly things soured while she was on a trip with her husband, begging the question of just how common “Alpine divorces” are becoming.
A video filmed from her point of view depicts her husband rapidly walking further ahead through crowds at the airport. “He walked so far ahead of me, we lost touch of each other…” the on-screen text of Jessica Cooper’s (@mthafknprncss) video read. “I ended up back at Mom’s house when we landed.”
Cooper then added in the video description, “Who knew taking your husband on vacation would turn out ending in divorce?”
Since it was posted, the clip has amassed 21 million views.
How Did Commenters React?
Some commenters could relate to the situation, having been in similar ones themselves.
“When on a hike in a foreign country with my ex,” one shared. “He was so far ahead of me that I stopped and sat down at one point. Waited an hour for him to turn around. Eventually went back home on my own and booked a flight home.”
“Currently going through a divorce because of this..and my husband always ruins the first 24 hours of every trip we take…” a second wrote. “Its so annoying.”
While a third chimed in, saying, “My ex used to walk ahead of me when he was mad. It’s one of the most disrespectful things you can do in my opinion.”
A fourth commenter gave a male insight. “Man here,” they wrote. “We do this when we don’t want to be seen with you.”
While a fifth gave their opinion on the situation. “Marriage was over before the vacation,” they said. “It was just the final straw.”
The terms “alpine divorce” and “alpine breakup” also popped up in the comments section.
What Is An ‘Alpine Divorce’?
“Alpine divorce” is shorthand for your partner abandoning you in a remote or unfamiliar setting. Examples include ski slopes, a hiking trail, or, in the case of Cooper, an airport.
According to Psychology Today, the term comes from an 1893 short story by Robert Barr. The tale features a husband planning to kill his wife as they vacation through the Alps.
The social media term itself sparked in popularity in February after a TikTok by user @everafteriya went viral. In the clip, the user cries alone as she walks through a hiking trail. The video garnered 30.6 million views. On-screen text reads, “POV: you go on a hike with him in the mountains and he leaves you alone by yourself and you realize he never liked you to begin with.”
Stephanie Sarkis, a psychotherapist who specializes in narcissistic abuse, told USA Today that she has had clients who have experienced alpine divorce.
“I’ve seen it a few times,” she said. “For a lot of people, that’s their worst fear: Being in an environment where we don’t have control over what’s going on and being abandoned somewhere. I think we all have a fear of abandonment to different degrees. Being out in an area that you do not know, where there’s wildlife, where you could easily get lost, especially if it’s unmarked, that’s a real fear for people.”
Evidently, alpine divorces are probably among the worst breakup stories out there. It’s much better to break up gracefully rather than effectively leaving your partner stranded.
Since posting the video, Cooper has provided more context about what exactly went down. In one, she claimed via the on-screen caption that she experienced a double betrayal. Her husband didn’t just cheat on her; his friends also knew and helped him cover it up.
BroBible reached out to Cooper via direct message.
@mthafknprncss Who knew taking your husband on vacation would turn out ending in divorce #cheaters #divorce #vacation