Unlike other holidays, I never have a regimented plan for New Years. For Halloween, I look forward to picking out a costume, exploring the Voodoo Music Festival, and ending the night at the Boot. For Thanksgiving, I know I will be surrounded by my family members, big and small, for a huge, food-coma-inducing meal. However, every year when it comes to New Years Eve, I am at a loss of what to do. This list is for all of you who are also struggling to find a tradition to celebrate for New Years instead of watching the ball drop at midnight:
1. FaceTime any long distance friend you have insistently until they pick up, and catch up on all you have missed in each other lives. Also, give them a virtual kiss at midnight if there are no other willing participants.
2. Have an official ‘treat-yo-self’ day, starting with a full body massage. Then, go to the closest mall and buy yourself something special, and celebrate with some ice cream when the ball drops.
3. Binge watch a TV show that you know you will get sick of eventually, and once it becomes unbearable, switch to the countdown, which will seem good in comparison.
4. Take a spontaneous road trip with your closest friends. Literally to anywhere that is not NYC because no one wants to deal with that, trust me. Preferably to the closest body of water you can get to and watch the fireworks explode in the sky.
5. Get out all of your embarrassing secrets with a cleanse (like make videos of yourself singing to your favorite song, or hysterically cry at a movie that is supposed to be ‘uplifting'), so you can lie to yourself that you will not do them next year.
6. Make a list of things that you will keep doing, instead of ‘New Year's Resolutions’ that just bring you down. Put something that you refuse to give up on your new list, to congratulate yourself for not messing up too bad in the last year.
7. Dress up all fancy, get your hair and makeup done and take pictures outside your house for a picture-perfect Instagram, before changing to a comfortable pair of sweats that you will be rocking for the rest of the night.
8. Make a ‘single ladies’ play list, and dim your lights just the right amount. Dance like it’s a nightclub, and kiss a bottle of bubbly at midnight to prove you need no man (or woman).
9. Reserve the whole day to do something that you love that you don’t have time for anymore. Whether it be finishing your painting of a masterpiece, playing an old Xbox game you used to enjoy, or catching up with your guilty pleasures.
