Nothing wrong with calling it a day early on a ride. Many of us here have done it for any combination of the same reasons. Continuing to push after you're already exhausted and out of energy downright sucks and can even get dangerous depending on the situation. It seems like you had the right mindset going in of hoping for the best but planning for the worst so when it did come time to call for a ride, it wasn't a big deal. Also, failures can teach you as much or more than successes and you're already learning from those so you'll be far better prepared next time.

There's a local STEEP climb up a mountain nearby (3,000 feet in 11 miles) that I had to try 3 times before successfully making it to the top. First was not enough water on too hot a day and turned around a mile from the top. Second was too cold, too rainy and not the appropriate gear for both. It sucks not being able to make it all the way but hey, the roads aren't going anywhere and you can always try again later.