Florida For New Years
Disclaimer: The Paige that I refer to in this installment is my cousin, not my girlfriend. Also, she has a brother named Austin, and her husband's name is Austin. Her husband will be referred to as Naughstin.
Growing up, my family would go down to Orlando, Florida, for two weeks every summer to visit Dad’s side of the family. However, in more recent years, we have been going to other places for our family's summer vacation. To make up for this, in December 2019, we went to Florida for New Year's. We obviously didn't go in 2020, but we went there twice in 2021. Once to make up for 2020 and once for Paige’s wedding. We were going to go for New Year’s last year, but Dad hurt his back, so we couldn't make the drive.
On December 27th, 2023, my family drove down to my Aunt Eva and Uncle Zach’s house. The next day, we spent time at my grandma’s house. Then, at 5:30, Mom, Dad, Ryan, Luke, Josh, Eva, Zach, Pop-pop, his friend Sara, and I got on the SunRail, which is the local train system, and went to a minor league hockey game. The team was called The Solar Bears. When we got there, we met up with my cousin's family, the Spears (Aunt Alicia, Uncle Paul, Alexander, his girlfriend Alexa, Austin, Paige and Naughstin). It was a really fun night, and the Solar Bears won!
On Friday the 29th, my family went to Paige and Naughstin’s house to meet their son Bentley, and he's one of the cutest little babies I've ever met! The next day we went to Titusville, which is about an hour from Eva and Zach's house, and saw my great-grandma Biba, and went to Dad’s cousin's family Christmas party.
New Year's Eve was a very packed day. Bentley’s baptism was after the 12:30 Mass, and then Paige and Naughstin had a reception at their house. From there, Mom, Dad, Ryan, Luke, Josh, Pop-pop, Sara, Eva, Zach, and I went to a memorial for my friend Elizabeth that her family has every year. It was a really nice event, and I got to see Elizabeth’s parents and grandparents, her sisters Madison and Blinne, and Madison’s new husband!
But the best part of the trip was the Spear’s New Year's Eve party. Mom, Dad, Ryan, Luke, Josh, and I got there first, and Alexander, Alexa, Grandma, and her husband Joe showed up about an hour later. We spent the night watching football, hanging out in the hot tub with Austin, and setting off fireworks!
Now, Alexa’s family has a New Year’s tradition that I have never heard of before. 12 grapes (one for each month of the year) are put into champagne glasses. Right when the ball drops, everyone starts eating the grapes, making a wish for the New Year with each one. If you don’t finish your grapes by 12:01, you will have bad luck for the whole year.
As soon as the ball dropped, we all started eating our grapes, and Alexander set off the biggest fireworks pack we had! As people began finishing their grapes, we began blowing on party horns. Alicia was practically screaming into hers, and that encouraged everyone else to scream into theirs. We spent the first 10 minutes of 2024 trying to be the loudest person and inadvertently sounding like a flock of dying geese! It was random, epic, and a little disturbing, honestly.
I always hear people say that New Year’s is always a letdown. I understand the sentiment, but I think people feel that way because it’s billed as one of the biggest nights of the year, but it all leads up to a disco ball exploding on TV! I’ve learned that if you lower your expectations just a smidge, your New Year will be more entertaining than it would be otherwise!
Hope you all have a Greattastic and safe 2024!
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
Rules for a Greattastic Life will return with the 5-Year Anniversary Special soon!
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