Honestly, the lead-up wasn’t very exciting. On the 31st during the day, I wasn’t in high spirits about the whole celebration. We were camping by the beach with four other families, enjoying a peaceful and pleasant time. Despite that, I found myself wishing I could crawl into my tent and go to sleep at my usual early hour instead of having to force myself to stay awake until midnight.
New Year’s Eve comes with so much expectation, like it has to be the absolute BEST night of the year. I know I should probably let go of that mindset, but I seem unable to do it. Maybe I just really enjoy my early nights?
Of course, I also understand that many people (including myself for over 20 years) believed that the best way to ensure a memorable New Year’s Eve was to drink excessively until completely intoxicated.
However, I no longer drink and have trained myself to recognize that being drunk doesn’t equal fun—it’s just being drunk. There are plenty of wonderful, natural ways to enjoy oneself that don’t involve substances. Yet, for some silly reason, I still feel that New Year’s Eve carries the pressure to elevate the night to something extraordinary, and honestly, I couldn’t really be bothered.
Anyway, I told myself, “it is what it is” in the days leading up to the event, and I got ready to just have a good time knowing the pressure would soon lift. Little did I anticipate that something magical would occur, although I would have to wait until after midnight for it to fully unfold.
Early in the evening, we hosted a camp concert featuring various performances (including a couple I participated in), which was enjoyable. Then we had a disco where everyone was dancing to a quirky mix of popular tunes. Afterward, the guitars came out, and we had a sing-along. It was all good fun.
By 11:30 PM, I was feeling fatigued; half of the kids had fallen asleep, some adults were a bit tipsy, and I found it hard to resist chocolate (I ended up consuming quite a few Maltesers before midnight). My air mattress looked more inviting than ever, and honestly, I would have gladly retired at that moment.
Then midnight struck, and we all embraced and cheered with others around the campsite. After the last few kids were tucked in, I planned to sneak away myself.
But then something incredible happened.
We had our Megaboom speaker set up on the sand between our tents, and the music switched from cheesy kids’ hits to more relaxed dance/trance beats. That’s when I felt the urge to dance.
And I danced—A LOT.
I danced continuously for over an hour under the moonlight, my feet in the sand, glow sticks in each hand, and my eyes mostly closed. I completely immersed myself in the rhythm, swaying, ducking, bobbing, twirling, and waving. It was absolutely exhilarating.
At this point, it was just us adults—around ten of us—gathered around the speaker as if it were a bonfire. Everyone was relaxed, engaging in conversations in pairs or threes, or just moving to the music like I was. I can’t describe how amazing that hour of dancing between midnight and 1 AM was; it felt rejuvenating for my soul. I felt so at ease, unconcerned about my appearance or others’ opinions. I was fully comfortable with my friends, completely at ease in my own skin, engrossed in the music, and overwhelmingly happy.
I was grooving, moving, swaying, ducking, diving, and waving. I pointed and swished my glow sticks non-stop. At times, I joked about directing airplanes like an air traffic controller, bending my arms accordingly! I also made large circles and quick flicks to make my glow sticks blur. Now that I think about it, I believe it was the glow sticks that brought me so much joy. I was all about waving my arms to the rhythm.
So incredibly happy. It was the best dance I’ve had in ages, and as a result, it was the best New Year’s I’ve had in a long time. Dancing in the dim light with a wonderful group of friends, completely at ease outdoors to fantastic tunes, and without a drop of alcohol.
This is proof once more that alcohol is not necessary for a good time. Enjoyment arises when all the elements of a moment align to create genuine feelings of pleasure and happiness.
Wishing a Happy Sober 2018 to everyone out there in cyberspace who courageously chooses to eliminate alcohol and live life authentically 100% of the time. It’s a tough journey at first, but incredibly rewarding. Worth it for magical evenings like my New Year’s Eve. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
With love, Mrs. D xxx