Note: I do not
count Valentine’s Day as a holiday—more as a tragic day that has been throttled
by commercialism which sucks so bad when you’re not dating anyone that I’ve
contemplated sealing myself up in my house like Ms. Haversham. But that’s
another breakdown for another day, for now I’m going to try to come up with
some hints on how to survive New Year’s Eve.
First of all, if
you have recently gone through a breakup or just have been alone long enough
and still not deleted your ex’s phone numbers from your mobile, delete said
numbers, have someone babysit your phone for you, or set up some type of breathalyzer
so that you cannot get hammered and call up/text your ex in a poor emotional
state. Sad to say, no one gave me this advice many moons ago when my ex had
dumped me 2 weeks before Christmas (or as my dim memories are suggesting, I was
able to run past a friend who tried to stop me by locking myself alone in her
bedroom with my mobile) so that by the time I got to New Year’s Eve it’s a miracle
that I only tearfully called him a little less than a dozen times.
Second of all,
much like with weddings, Christmases, and other celebrations, please remember
that New Year’s Eve—no matter how tough it is to take—is only just one day. It
can never be as wonderfully exciting as you think it should be, nor will it be
your undoing.
Third of all,
while you shouldn’t dread the day for weeks in advance, you should come up with
some sort of plan or options for how to survive it and maybe even enjoy it.
Right off the bat I will recommend NOT attending some big party where the
majority of people will be couples as when midnight rolls around and you are
the only person not smooching someone else, things could get desperate either
in the form of you kissing someone that you would never in your right mind kiss
the rest of the year OR you could end up running out of the room
sobbing/screaming into the night. If you
are unsure of the ratio of couples to singles, make sure to ask the host. If they
are your true friend, they will understand and not be offended if upon hearing
that every other person is a part of a half you decline their kind invitation.
So what can you
do to actually enjoy the evening? For the past several years my New Year’s Eves
have been awesome as I have spent them with a close friend whose husband is an
emergency room doctor and subsequently is usually working all or part of the
evening. This means that she and I go out on the town to new restaurants and
bars, enjoy some excellent food and libations, and crash at one of our casas.
Also because we both have dogs and they are pretty much in love with each
other, we would bring my dog to her house or vice versa depending on where we
were crashing. The result was we got to have fun, the dogs had fun, and no one
had to rush home to walk their faithful canine.
One of the best
of such New Year’s Eve was spent at a wonderful Lebanese restaurant in
Baltimore within view of the harbor and the fireworks. There was tons of food,
bottles of champagne, and belly dancers who sometimes danced around with swords
on their heads. The crowd was a great mix of groups of friends, families, and
couples. And for some reason, my friend agreed to be the designated driver so I
got to fully enjoy the bubbly and then when we made it back to her casa we had
some more bevvies to properly ring in the new year.
Sadly for me,
but happily for her, that all changed last year when she was preggers and wanted
to do a couples weekend thing with her hubs and now that she is a new mommy
with lots of family responsibilities, we don’t really see each other much. Don’t
get me wrong, I’m very happy for her and her husband, but I’d be lying if I
said I wasn’t a little sad to lose one of my most constant shopping partners,
new restaurant testers, travel companion, and New Year’s Eve concelebrants.
Last year I went
to the Kennedy Center to see “South Pacific” with a single male friend. This
friend is really not a night owl (or someone who routinely stays up past 9pm), so
I was poking him awake by the second act and was unable to convince him to stay
at the Kennedy Center for the midnight toast and party, but it was still a
great evening.
I was at a bit
of a loss as to what the hell I was going to do come New Year’s Eve this year,
but thankfully some of my awesome DC pals have come to the rescue finding lots
of non-couply activities for the day. I’m going to join them for a fun
scavenger hunt during the day and then since I was unable to procure dog care
for my four-legged soulmate, the evening will find me coaxing him out of the
corner he is sure to hide in when the fireworks start. I think it’s a great way
to ring out the old year by running around Virginia searching for clues and
prizes with some seriously fantastic ladies and then return home to the best
and most constant male in my life. Unlike years past, my New Year’s Eve plans this
year ensure that I will not overindulge in the libation category and make much
regretted phone calls/texts/decisions and that I will be feeling great and
non-hangovery come New Year’s Day so I can start 2012 with a clear head and
maybe in spite of all the craptastic dates and let-downs, I can even begin the
year with a heart filled with hope of better things to come in the year ahead.
No matter what
you do, make sure you let yourself have fun and don't think about what you don't have - concentrate on what you do have. Just stay safe and keep others
around you safe. A lot of cities have free taxi service but if yours doesn’t,
make sure you figure out a designated driver, bus, subway, or some other form
of sober and non-texting form of transit.
