In my family we have a bit of a tradition- or a superstition, depending on how you look at it- for New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day. The belief is that the energy you carry with you at the end of the year and into the first hours of the new one sets a precedent for the energy that will follow you over the course of the twelve months ahead.
That’s not to say that if you spend New Year’s Eve drinking champagne and dancing ’til dawn and then New Year’s Day in a perpetual state of a wretched hangover that your remaining 364 days will consist of that and only that- but it’s more about bringing negative emotions/energy: anger, hostility, fear or sadness, etc. into a brand new year as opposed to leaving them at the door of the previous one before heading into a fresh start and a clean slate.
It might sound silly to some- and that’s perfectly fine- but it’s a belief I’ve had all of my life and one I take pretty seriously. I’ve also found that it’s eerily accurate- so I always try to plan accordingly.
This year, I spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in the company of someone I love very much in a city that I also love- eating fantastic food, watching the fireworks (unexpectedly!) and just relaxing as the hours ticked down to 2020.
While there were certainly many options for where we could go for the holiday- The Berkshires, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc. Troy and I opted to spend it together in Boston- a city we are both undoubtedly well-acquainted with. We wanted our lodging and dining options to be as familiar and as simple and stress-free as possible.
We stayed at the Moxy Boston – a boutique hotel right in downtown Boston- and maybe one of the most unique places I’ve staycationed/vacationed in decor and design-wise. Indie617’s morning host, Michael, sometimes broadcasts his show from there- so it was neat to see the station’s signage upon entry. Our room was near the top floor- and we had a wonderful view of the city and the gigantic “20” that was illuminated in the Prudential Center’s windows.
For dinner, we were thrilled to be able to get a seat at Citrus & Salt in the Back Bay- which has quickly become one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in the city for their outstanding and ever evolving menu and super strong (but really tasty) cocktails. My favorite, “Beautiful Liar,” comes with a black lava salt rim- which made my empanadas and guacamole taste even more phenomenal.
We also went all out for dessert- with Troy ordering a watermelon sorbet that had a laugh-out-loud presentation (see the photo below) and me pretty much inhaling a plantain crumble cake that I was really, really excited for (also see below.)
I think it was the walk *to* dinner that ended up being the most surprising, though, as the Boston fireworks display- visible from near our hotel- kicked off as we were heading out to eat. Troy and I ended up hurrying over to a nearby corner to catch the show- and I managed to film the finale with my phone.
You can see it HERE on my Instagram!
After dinner, we decided to head back to the hotel for another round of drinks while we were dressed to the nines and watch the ball drop from the comfort of the warm and cozy room. We did pose for plenty of selfies, of course- since we had dressed up nicely and it was a special occasion- but of course, after a couple of drinks and some light rain- I was a bit of a frizzy-haired mess by the night’s end.
And for anyone wondering- my dress is from ModCloth. It was a floor length tulle and chiffon design that was covered in sparkly stars and had me feeling celebratory the entire time I had it on.
New Year’s Day- feeling a bit groggy but excited and optimistic nonetheless- Troy and I got a much-needed late start on our day before we grabbed a coffee and a quick breakfast and prepared to begin the scenic journey back to the Valley. We indulged in dinner and a lot of talking about the future before it was time to get ready for the post-holiday blues at our respective jobs the following morning.
And now here we are! A few short days into the New Year and back to the normal everyday grind of work and hustling. I don’t mind, of course- since I have such a lovely couple of days to look back on and what I hope are even lovelier days ahead to look forward to.
As far as the superstition goes- I think I ended 2019 and entered 2020 in the best way possible- happy, hopeful, well-fed, well-dressed- and with a dashing person I care deeply for.
It was exactly the type of energy I strive for- so I’m excited to see how it carries into the new year!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 