How to Have Fun Alone on a Major Holiday

     New Year's Eve is one of the most celebrated holidays in New York. Because of my work schedule, I was unable to stay at home in Maryland to celebrate the New Year with my family. Everyone I know in the city was either traveling or still at home for the holidays, so I came to the realization that I would be spending my New Years Eve alone, in the city that celebrates it the most. Since moving to New York, I have realized that it is important to understand that it's okay to be alone. I struggled with this at first, until I received some very useful advice from my boyfriend, Nik. He is living in Montreal right now for his co-op, so he is in a similar sittuation as me. He told me that I can be my own best friend while I'm here, and that I don't need to rely on anyone else to provide me with fun things to do if no one is available. I think this is very relevant advice to anyone thrown out of their comfort zone, and it applied perfectly to my New Year's Eve alone in the city.
     My night started with a dinner for one at the Bel Aire Diner in Queens, down the street from my apartment. This was the most lonely part of my night because there was an Elvis impersonator performing at the diner, and I was sitting alone feeling like I was in one of those depressing bar scenes you see in a lot of movies. Although this sounds really sad, I had a lot of fun people watching and seeing the impersonator perform for his 37th year as Elvis. I recommend Elvis impersonator shows to everyone in New York because they have a lot of energy and personality (to say the least).
     After leaving the diner around 11 pm, I decided to do something slightly crazy. Earlier in the night, I had seen a post on Instagram for one of my favorite rappers, A$AP Rocky's, New Year's Eve party. I am not a huge partier, especially not alone. However I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to ring in the New Year with A$AP Rocky, so I went for it!
     In between the diner and the party, though, was Times Square, and it was only 11 pm, so I did something arguably crazier than going to that party. I went to go see the ball drop, and got there only 20 minutes before it happened. Here's a tip- if you want to see the ball drop, but you don't want to wait around all day without food and bathrooms, take the subway to the 57th Street stop on the N or Q line. By some miracle, getting off at this subway stop put me right in between the ball in Times Square and the firework display in Central Park. Watching the ball drop and seeing the firework display was an amazing experience that I will never forget. And it wasn't even lonely! Thanks to FaceTime, I was able to get my New Year's kiss after all.
   My night ended at A$AP Rocky's New Year's Eve party, and going was one of the best decisions I've ever made. There was great music, a lot of interesting people, and cool art, since the party was at a gallery. One thing I learned from this experience is that showing up to a party alone is a great networking opportunity. A$AP Rocky and his friends are very famous in the streetwear fashion world, so there were a lot of streetwear designers to talk to, and a lot of fun outfits to look at. I ended up having a fabulous time at the party, and I even made some friends and danced next to A$AP Rocky while I was there.
     Spending my New Year's Eve alone in New York taught me that spending time alone can be equally as fun as spending time with friends. My biggest advice to people moving to a new city for co-op is to never be afraid to be alone. You don't have to wait around for anyone, and nobody knows what you like to do better than yourself. Also, use technology to your advantage when finding fun spur-of-the-moment things to do. I've noticed that many events happen last minute in New York, so it is important to stay updated on what's going on. I encourage everyone to put themselves out of their comfort zones. If it can work perfectly for a shy girl alone on New Year's Eve in the city, it can work for you!