Three is Not Company: 5 Activities to Avoid When Stuck as The Third Wheel
Remember that day your dad said it was time to take off your training wheels and you were left with only one wheel in the back, not three? You freaked out because you had no idea how you’d survive without those other two wheels. Well, it’s quite the opposite these days. In fact, you’d do anything to get rid of that pair of wheels that you seem to be stuck with all the time. Yes, we are talking about your best friend and her boyfriend. And the only thing worse than being a third wheel is being a fifth wheel, unless you are observing double dates for some sort of research study you are conducting.
As miserable as it sounds, sometimes you have to just suck it up and do it. You have to be the supportive friend who loves her best friends’ boyfriends… or fakes it. And hey, maybe (hopefully) you will find out that those guys are actually cool and fun!
While I fully support embracing third or fifth wheel-age so you can spend time with your besties, there are a few wheel-enhancing activities to avoid when doing so.
Amusement Parks: For obvious reasons, unless you prefer privacy when riding roller coasters. Even if your friend swears she will ditch her boyfriend to sit with you, that will just make him feel like the third wheel and you like the charity case.
Skiing: Similar to the amusement park rule, riding the ski lift alone gets old. Sometimes it’s not even allowed, and since your life isn’t a Mary Kate and Ashley movie, don’t bank of getting stuck on the ski lift with a hot ski instructor. After a long day of physical exertion, getting cozy by the fireplace with some hot cocoa will be really romantic… for the couple you’re with.
Weddings: All the free drinks and cute groomsmen in the world could not erase the romance that surrounds weddings. Weddings make people want to get married, not yearn for their single days. If you are at a wedding with a couple that isn’t already married, they will be staring deeply into each other’s eyes the entire time thinking about a future together. Yuck. If there’s no way out of the wedding, at least asked to be seated at a separate table.
Cooking Classes: This is an awesome activity to partake in with your single girls, but nothing makes you stand out as the single person in the room more than being surrounded by couples learning to make meals for each other when you’re cooking for one. Do not accompany your couple friends to a cooking class or you will be stuck watching people spoon feed each other all night.
Vacations: Don’t do it. Seriously. Being stuck in a hotel room with another couple is just awkward, but getting your own room so they can canoodle can be a bit of a downer (and costly). Seeing sights with your bestie may sound perfect but not when she wants zillions of pictures kissing her boyfriend under the Eiffel Tower and you are stuck taking them. And when you do get her attention, he will end up feeling like a third wheel as you and your girl bond over this amazing new experience. Do both him and yourself a favor, and find a new travel buddy.
