Is it normal to literally hate doing things with your toddler?

Question

I hate taking my toddler anywhere. Because I know it means meltdowns, not listening, screaming, crying, etc. Everything is miserable. At home he’s containable, happy with his toys and Cocomelon. Today we took him to a park and it was fucking awful. He didn’t listen, ran into a pond, wouldn’t eat the food we got for a picnic, and melted down because the slide on the playground had an ant on it. Got in the car and he cried that he wanted to go home. I just hate doing anything with him. He’s 3. Does this get better as he gets older? I literally never want to take him anywhere ever.

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As long as you are teaching him how to express and manage his emotions, yes it will get better. If you’re not the tantrums will only get worse

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He needs to go out and experience the world around him. Does he have sensory issues? The meltdown over the ant on the slide sounds out of the norm. 
If he’s typically developing, going out will get easier the more you do it.

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Yes, yes yes! Until we started following suggestions by our behavior therapist, it was a mess. You might want to look into ABA therapy - they are great for getting to the root of problem behaviors and creating solutions.

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More outside time, it is soooo amazing for them.  Kids have big emotions and feelings just like we do.  They need us to teach them kindly how we use those words.  My kids are almost 5 and almost 2.  I lose my cool too but I remember they are depending on me and my hubby for example and guidance.  If water and splashing is a favorite maybe a park that has a splash feature, or a sprinkler outside your house or a small kid pool to play in.  Perhaps swim lessons?  Trip to a zoo or farm?  They need outside time.  It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and overstimulated inside and with technology/TV.  My kids are in a better mood too the more they play outside or I noticed more meltdowns when they don’t get it.  Good luck mama.

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Maybe it’s normal for other people but I’m the opposite, my boys are 5 and 6 and I’ve always loved taking them everywhere with me. They’re like my mini best friends.

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It’s probably because he does not go out as often he is not able to control his emotions that well. It’s called terrible 3s for a reason babe. It is the stage when they are exploring so much more and are able to do more & express more. 
There was a time I read an article and it said to not give your toddlers the phone when out in public because they will never know how to actually behave without one so it will be a struggle. 
Just have patience. Maybe you can eat first, have some energy going ( coffee, energy drink) dress comfy & prep talk to yourself in the mirror like “ okay we’re gonna take this little asshole in the park, and think of all the bad that can happen and how you can REDIRECT him( doing something “bad”, move him over to a safe spot calmly) and be like it’s okay we got this.” 
Not alone!

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I hate it too. It’s exhausting. But if we keep our kids in a bubble how will they ever learn to socialize or be prepared for school? Unless you plan to home school, this is a necessary step. 
As for the running away, we have a harness our 2.5 year old wears bc she’s a runner. Then we also set the tone before we go somewhere. “It is great to climb on the play ground, but do we run away from mama and daddy? Nooooo. We use our words when we want something and ask mama or daddy before we walk away” literally we do this for everything from going to the grocery store to the park.

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It's probably because you hate taking him places that he isnt getting exposed to things like that enough. If my son acted that way I would be sure to go out MORE to get him used to it and to make sure to change his behavior  .

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I somewhat dreaded going out with my son for almost an entire year. Started at about 18 months and continued until a few months before turning 3. He either didn’t want to go or didn’t want to leave wherever we went. He would have meltdowns. Screaming and kicking as we were leaving the park, playground, grocery store. During that time he also wanted to walk everywhere we went, hated using the stroller, but got tired and wanted to be carried. He’s a 99th percentile boy so carrying wasn’t always a safe option. Also, in the middle of all of that, he was fighting his nap and gave it up completely a few months after turning 2. 
But, I knew that staying home more often even though comfortable would make this worse. We both needed practice. So that’s what we did. Almost everyday, we did something that was a trigger for him. Sometimes he was fine and sometimes not. Sometimes he didn’t want to leave the playground or he wanted to see toys in the store. We just kept practicing so he could learn what I expected and I could learn to navigate his triggers. 
He is 3 and still has tantrums(now better described as pouting or protesting) but rarely the huge meltdowns(unless we are at IKEA and insists on walking the entire length of the store by himself. IKEA is my nemesis in this feat to overcome the meltdowns). But he will gladly look at toys in a store for 1 minute and then help to find the groceries or he will go to the playground and “gives in” easier when it’s time to leave. He will hurry when I tell him we must. He will hold my hand if I tell him he has to. 
Although, I think his behavior is normal, maybe even on the “easier” side, my husband has always exaggerated and believes that our son has terrible behavior. I guess it’s the difference of him being a pessimist and me being more of an optimist(at least compared to him). He compares to other kids we see out and I try to remind him that the difference between a 2 year old and a 3 year old is really big. Anyway, he is starting to see that what I have been saying is right. 
My son is more even tempered now. Timeouts have helped us. 
Still, best thing is practice for both of you. He needs experience and you need to learn how to deal with his triggers. My son still has trouble when he is hungry and when he is tired. Sometimes just sitting down and eating a snack helps and we can get going again. Other times, it doesn’t work out so well and he will have a fit. But it’s getting better. I’m sure it will for you as well. Just get a consistent plan made and then stick to it even when it feels uncomfortable.

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Needs to have more outdoor adventures and expense the world around him.