There was a time when I put so much pressure on new year’s eve. It had to be perfect. It was the pinnacle of the the holiday season. All of my life I have lived by the idea that how you spend new year’s eve is how you will spend the rest of that year. And to some extent that’s always been true. Each new year I’ve been overweight and single and…yep, still am.
This Ball Drop was different (we don’t have a ball drop in the UK but I just love the reference of it!) We had a very sophisticated night in drinking diet coke and ribena and eating popcorn. Robbie Williams was our entertainment along with the 12 minute show of the 6.5tonnes of explosives that illuminated the Embankment and skyline of London.
The first NYE I spent at home was 11 years ago. It was horrible. It was the first one after my grandad died in that same December. It was awful and I remember vowing never to spend another one sat sobbing on the sofa in silence. Since then i spent one other at home with a friend and a few bottles of fizz and now this year. I have been to endless failed parties too. In fact I’ve been to a handful of parties where the countdown has been missed completely. One year the DJ was at the bar, one year they just forgot altogether and once they put the tv countdown on and nobody was ready it just happened without us.
Last year was particularly bad too. We went to a heavy metal tribute show – yeah me – the 90s loving, camp as Christmas, show tune humming girly girl. Needless to say we left before the bongs and got home just in time to greet 2016.
So this year’s it’s been different. I spent most of the year just praying we’d get this far so it was a very welcomed evening to spend the countdown with my family in the comfort and safety of the family home. It was nice.
However you spent the night, and whoever you kissed on the chimes of Big Ben* I hope you had a great night.
My new year’s resolution remain the same as always – lose weight and get a hobby. But this year I plan to see more, more day trips, more exploring.
We shall see how that goes!
2017, we welcome you with open arms and an eagerness in our hearts, and We pray that you will be kinder to us all than the last 12 months as I for one am very glad to see them behind us.
*(or any other time giving device, others are available around the world)
Maria Victoria Smith 