I will be the first girl ever to be the 1,057th wheel on vacation.

Recently, I found out that you aren’t allowed to go to Jamaica if you are single. OK, you’re allowed to go, but you have to pay for a couple; at least that’s how Sandals feels.

Imagine my surprise when the travel agent informed me that one couldn’t book a trip for a single to Ocho Rios, Sandals’ all-inclusive resort.

As if it’s not tough enough to be invited to be in a wedding of a good friend who is your age, and then to suddenly find out that it’s not acceptable to be single at the wedding. When Vanessa and Brian decided to get married in Jamaica, I was a little annoyed because I don’t have much time or money to travel, and it seemed like a terrible inconvenience. I then realized that their day wasn’t all about me.

I thought about how beautiful the wedding will be on the beach in Jamaica, with the sun setting and the sand beneath our toes, and the whole plan grew on me. After all, I’ve never really been on a vacation. I never take time off, and what could be a better reason than a good friend getting married? I started to get excited about the trip, looking forward not only to the trip itself, but also to the day I had the money to book the trip.

The latter was last week. I called the travel agent, tingling with the excitement of my first vacation ever, when the travel agent asked me who I was going with. “No one,” said I. The travel agent was nice and patient when she explained that the resort we would be staying at was a couples’ resort. I am not a couple. I am a single, and I am OK with it.

So what is the solution, you ask? I get to pay for a double room in an all-inclusive resort. I will be paying for the flight separately, unless of course, I want two seats. I honestly considered it. If I’m paying, I might as well be comfortable.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I could stay at another resort, where there would be no one I know, and pay for a day pass every time I wanted to visit my friends. This plan is just as expensive and way more inconvenient than just paying for two. After all, I can certainly eat and drink enough for two people, especially if I’m motivated by paying over $300 a day and the fact that I have nothing to do.

My complaint is this: I will be at a couples’ resort with an engaged couple, a few friends in relationships, parents and an entire hotel full of taken men. Does that sound like a vacation to anyone?

I also just found out that there is no smoking in the bars, restaurants and nightclubs (I’m a smoker). I can see it now: I will be the only single girl at the party, sitting outside all alone, smoking my American Spirits and wishing I had stayed in Milwaukee. I will be the first girl ever to be the 1,057th wheel on vacation.

I just need to keep in mind that despite how irritating this is becoming, it is not about making me happy; it’s about Vanessa and Brian. Since I can't cook, Vanessa has taken care of me when I hadn’t had anything homemade in months. I ruined her towel when I dyed my hair black, cried to her when I got my heart broken. When I was too messed up to take care of my cats, Vanessa took one in and found a home for the other. When I left town to clean myself up, Vanessa helped me pack. She has helped me move a million times, and has always been supportive of me. The least I can do is attend her wedding and enjoy myself.

I may be the only single person in Jamaica, but I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to have a few days on the beach at the end of February. I get to see my little Vanessa get married and escape the Wisconsin snow. So, I guess I will just have to put up with being the only single person in yet another situation.

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