Before you start sending me links to depression websites and suicide hotlines, hear me out; I actually, genuinely, 100% prefer to spend New Year’s Eve alone. Here’s why.
The Perfect NYE For Introverts
First of all, it's important to note that in my twenties, I spent NYE all over the world—Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Paris and so on. I had many a midnight kiss with latin lovers and hilarious nights with girlfriends exploring foreign lands. I'm no longer in the place where that feels like something I'm drawn towards doing (though I wouldn't turn down a free ticket to Florianopolis or a mistletoe smooch with Gael Bernal Garcia—DM me on either!).
Perhaps even an extreme introvert, if such a thing exists. Large crowds and small talk are both hugely uncomfortable for me, so I don't really enjoy parties... period. Unless it's a small intimate gathering of people I know well, I can skip it. Again, I did more than my fair share of champagne-fueled party-hopping in my twenties and now, it's just not how I prefer to spend my time.
I mainly date artists, though I've never really taken the leap to become one myself. I believe they call this phenomenon being a "shadow artist." For whatever reason (whenever I'm single), I've taken to using New Year's Eve as a night to indulge this repressed artist side of myself. It feels wonderful in a way that honestly surpasses even the best NYE night out (save Rio, 2011, which was epic).
I'm sounding like such a nerd at this point, but I love the feeling of the new year, when anything seems possible and you revisit your ideas for your best self and life. New Year's Eve is my favorite night to dream big for the year to come, and sometimes I even spend it working on vision boards. I can't believe I'm telling you this, but honestly it feels so good.
One year, I went to a workout class at 8 a.m. on New Year's Day. It was incredible. The streets of Los Angeles were deserted, the class was half-populated by other women like myself who had decided to start the year as the best versions of themselves and afterwards, I felt healthy, happy, refreshed and inspired. This version of new year's day is even better if you work a 9-5 job, because you're not hurtling yourself back into the hustle unprepared, exhausted and, well, hungover. If you don't have big plans this NYE, fret not; the sun always comes up on the first, and if you stay in the night before, you might even be able to tolerate its shine.
