New Year’s Eve

For someone who relishes in socializing, entertains at parties, and is an extrovert, the following will be contradictory: I dread New Year’s Eve Parties.

This time of year is usually rough for my mental space with the memory of my mother dying of cancer, and having the experience of her health deteriorating so quickly.

The dates I’ve brought to these parties have been girlfriends are introverted or shy by nature. Even then with each of them our relationship was on the downhill slide to demise.

The culmination of it all is rather depressing.

Despite those experiences, I have one that I can think fondly on. It was the year I decided to ring in the New Year in another country to cross off a Bucket List Item.

My sister is my consummate partner-in-crime so I grumbled that I wanted to do this. She suggested Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada would be satisfactory for ‘another country’.

I readily agreed!

We planned out the evening, bounced out to execute. The Barcelona Nightclub was still in business and hosting a New Year’s Eve Party! The Howard Johnson was literally next door so we booked the one night there. That way we could drink and be merry without fear of driving.

Charrina, my sister, wanted to ensure that I had a grand time so she packed supplies for hotel pre-gaming. This time it wasn’t Captain Morgan but Sailor Jerry which if memory serves packs more of a punch.

We arrived in time to check in, pregame, dress up for the club, and roll in. At first it was slow but the party did pick up! I had no one to dance with, and after enough alcohol trips to our hotel room, it didn’t matter to me.

The Cinderella Hour – Midnight

I genuinely dislike the kiss at midnight for New Year’s. Generally the person I’m kissing I’m dispassionate about. Or the rest of the time, I’m single. I kiss no one. Even worse, I’m at a party that the couples kiss, and I arrived on my own. While it the experience only last seconds, it sets the tone for my year right then and there.

Abysmal.

Thankfully, this year (2018) I’m working until most parties have launched. I’ll actively decline invites to parties, because I do have plans for New Year’s Day in which I don’t want to be hungover from.

With any luck, and a change in my cue for my New Year’s Eve habit, perhaps I’ll have a better start to 2019 than before.

Happy New Year’s Eve, y’all!

‘los; out