A Peaceful New Year’s Eve

This New Years Eve, I had my heart content on going out with my boyfriend. I wanted to go to some sort of party or bar and ring in the new year. I wanted my midnight kiss while we wear silly hats and glasses. I wanted that picture perfect moment they always reference in books and movies.

For the past few weeks, I searched for events to attend. Nothing caught my eye and everything was extremely overpriced. Eventually, we ended up going to Starbucks for frappuccinos and drove around to look at the remainder of the Christmas lights. We then went to a family friend’s house and watched a movie, with just enough time left to watch the NYC ball drop at midnight.

I got my midnight kiss. It didn’t have silly decorations and both of us were sober. We weren’t around hundreds of people and we weren’t dressed up. But I took away something even more important than a midnight kiss. I realized that I’m not your average 22 year old. I don’t go clubbing. I don’t get drunk until I black out. My idea of a good time is shooting guns, watching movies, and cuddling (and not necessarily in that order.)

We focus so much on living up to these ideas and fantasies in our heads that we forget the meaning of holidays. I was so focused on having my first New Years kiss being a certain way that I took for granted my health, my loved ones, and those who have touched my life this past year. I was so focused on having an “Instagram worthy” midnight kiss that I almost let my imagination ruin a perfectly good nights. The sad part? Most people my age do just that. We’re more focused on making other people jealous or envious of our experiences through social media that we don’t enjoy the moment in the moment.

In 2015, I’m making a vow to put my phone down more and enjoy more private, intimate moments with the ones I love. Without my entire social network in on those moments.