Monday Part 2 - New Year's Eve in Tel Aviv

If you spoke to me before the trip, you knew I was most excited about spending New Year's Eve in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is the most modern and "Western" city in Israel. They are known for having a crazy club scene, and the people there (and in Israel in general) are very good looking. It appeared the only thing stopping us from having a blast in Tel Aviv would be restrictions on our schedule. We were only allowed out in Tel Aviv until 1:00, which actually became 12:20 once we received some rules clarifications. Considering we weren't getting out until after 10 and the clubs in Tel Aviv don't really open up until 11, the night could have turned into a major disappointment.

But that's not how our group rolls.

We arrived at the pier around 10:15 and immediately found a bar which had a DJ spinning so we figured it would serve our purposes well. From here on out, we'll ignore the fact that the bar was called the "Speedo Bar." I know. Once we all had a couple of drinks, the dancing really kicked into high gear and our birthright class showed off their moves...as well as 36 Jews can. Between our group dancing on tables and falling off tables (twice for some people) everyone was having an absolute blast as midnight approached.

I want to take a quick timeout to talk about New Year's Eve and my thoughts/feelings toward it in general. I fall into the camp of people who hate NYE. I think everyone gets overly excited for a night of partying that isn't much different than any other night except you wait in long lines and pay triple the price you normally would to go out. Also, 8 years ago I got together with a girlfriend on NYE which was a magical night. For the last 6 years, I've had to think back to that night each time I'm not kissing someone at midnight which is unpleasant to say the least.

Back to the present. As the minutes ticked off the clock and midnight approached, I was pretty caught up in the moment. I felt liberated from past New Years Eves and wasn't thinking about the past - only present and forward. That doesn't mean it wouldn't have been really nice to ring in the New Year with a kiss.

I had been hanging out quite a bit with one of the girls on the trip throughout the week and we were dancing shortly before midnight. Names will be omitted to protect the not-so innocent. I was pretty sure she had a bit of a crush on me, but if you know my track record with women, you would know not to put much stock into what I observe. After I rescued her from some creeper who dressed like a 50 year old (he was probably 22) we danced through to midnight. 3, 2, 1...and boom! There's no better way to start a new year than with a kiss at midnight surrounded by great friends.

We had to leave the club shortly after midnight to make sure we hit our curfew, which was really the only unfortunate part of the night. It really didn't matter through because everyone was in such high spirits that nothing could take us off our high. We hopped on the bus, went back to the hotel in Netanya, and found another dance party taking place in the lobby. About 7 or 8 of us spent some time there as going to bed on such a high would have been a huge waste.

After a little while, my friend and I decided to head down to a rocky area overlooking the Mediterranean. We stayed out for an hour or so watching the waves and taking in the beautiful scenery. It was great to be close to someone and share an amazing night in the first few hours of the year. Now when I look back on New Year's Eve, I will think back to positive memories from the past, not a longing for what was. Thank you for sharing it with me. 

Happy New Year everyone!

Kaps

Song of the Day: Thursday - Jet Black New Year