Am I too old for New Year’s Eve? It’s a question I’ve been considering as we approach the imminent countdown to 2024.
As a (semi) retired party girl who’s had more than her fair share of epic NYE celebrations, I’m now more than happy to go to bed before midnight.
For so many years, New Year’s Eve was an event. THE EVENT.
Spent in all the “right” places: St. Barts, Miami, Aspen. Party hopping. Celeb spotting. Dancing on super-yachts barefoot. The facade of glamour, yet always calculating where to head next.
Frankly, it was far more exhausting than fun.
But, still, a tiny part of me can’t help but wonder what this year’s hottest NYE soiree will be…
Undoubtedly, for a handful of A-listers, it will be the opportunity to quaff champagne with Lauren Sanchez, 54, and Jeff Bezos, 59, aboard their $500 million 417-foot sailing yacht, Koru.
Yes, the handsy power couple jetted into Miami over Christmas, where they have a new $147 million waterfront compound on Indian Creek Island, also known as the “Billion Dollar Bunker.”
But according to Vessel Finder, the Koru is still anchored in posh St. Barts, leading many to believe Sanchez and Bezos will host an ultra-exclusive bash floating atop the Caribbean Sea.
It seems like a foregone conclusion: Not only have the couple spent the last few winters ringing in the New Year on the fancy French island, but 2023 was their official year of excess — from a splashy engagement with a $2.5 million-dollar, 20-carat diamond ring to that cloying feature story in Vogue.
Even though they have the biggest toy, their continued extravagance feels decidedly tone deaf in the wake of the multi-front political tumult plaguing the world right now.
It also reeks of social climbing and desperation despite Bezos’ status as the world’s third-wealthiest man. You’re insanely rich, enviably buff and in love — we get it, but enough already!
The biggest flex for Banchez/Shezos (can one of these catch on, please) would be a low-key New Year’s Eve.
Because at a certain age it just seems tacky to persist with these attention-seeking shenanigan.
Leading to the question: When does a party girl — or couple — hang up their heels?
Is there a limit to how many legendary NYE celebrations one can (or should) have? Is it time Bezos and Sanchez considered a quiet night on Indian Creek?
In the ‘90s, I was fortunate to spend many a NYE with celebrities, supermodels — and powerful men who’ve since been canceled by #metoo.
I was privileged to ring in the millennium with Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gloria Estefan and Guy Ritchie in a private space tinier than my living room.
We danced the night away without a care in the world. It was magical.
I was there that infamous NYE when Mariah Carey performed at Nikki Beach St. Barts, paid for by the Qaddafi family.
Which we all found out about later.
Can I ever top these ragers from my past?
Probably not. Am I “giving up” if I prefer to sip Perrier-Jouët – if not OJ – in my PJs?
Maybe.
Is avoiding a hangover on New Year’s Day the new cool? Perhaps. I’m not ageist. Far from it.
Certainly, women over 50 like myself are still raging on New Year’s Eve — including many “Real Housewives” and, most likely, Lauren Sanchez.
Go for it, ladies!
But let’s face it, no one is having fun like we did in the pre-social-media-era.
Today, making content – rather than feeling content – is the main reason so many will brave NYE in the first place. It’s exhausting. And I’m over it.
I’m done with the faux gaiety, overpriced blow-dries and hunt for the best party.
Too often there’s an disappointing, dried-out dinner involved. Or even worse, no food at all.
I’ve aged out of celebrating NYE, and that’s okay.
Don’t get me wrong: I’ll still consume champagne and caviar on December 31st. I’m not a total killjoy.
I’ll be with a few close friends, and our gang of children. At someone’s home. With messy hair and super soft — rather than skin-tight — clothes.
And in bed way before midnight.
FOMO the next morning reading about Sanchez’s inevitable NYE blowout? More like the joy of having simply stayed in.