I don’t have a single photograph from last night and I guess that is a testament to how much fun we were having. I got a crazy idea last week that I would ride my bike from party to party, doing a 20 mile loop over the course of the night. Ride 5 miles, party. Ride 5 miles, party. Ride 10 miles, party. Ride 10 miles, home.
The forecast called for rain and I was going to go to the parties by myself, so common sense started to take over and I was going to cancel my plans. I said something on Twitter and one of my cycling twitter friends raised his hands and said he’d go with me.
At 5PM we made a weather call and decided to ride. He met me at the first party (Hey, Bibbliogrrrl!) and then we rode/partied our way into 2011.
This was, without a doubt, the best NYE that I’ve had in years. I got to do exactly what I wanted to do in unseasonably warm weather (when we met up at 7:30, it was 50 degrees). I had what I think I can classify as a date and if I can’t, I had great company who didn’t mind being thrown into three different parties of complete strangers.
My favorite part of the night was the seven mile stretch on Milwaukee Ave from Irving Park to Nobel between parties two and three.
We rode through Logan Square and Wicker Park, passing hordes of people wandering between bars and looking for taxis. At times it seemed like we were the only two people having a great night. Everyone else was underdressed for the late night chill, fighting with their dates or turning into angry drunks.
We were cruising along, high fiving people from the bike lane, calling out the occasional happy new year and NOT looking for cabs. We drank, but never too much to be able to handle the next 5 mile stretch. We danced to cheesy 90s music and sang along to More Than Words and I Got a Man at a 90s themed party.
It was just the best possible night.
I was home by 4am after riding the last 10 miles solo. My 4am the wind had picked up and my skirt had long stopped being weather appropriate, so I bundled up in three blankets, cranked the heat and crawled into bed.
Riding bikes on NYE was the best idea ever and having Dan along for the ride turned a great idea into a great night.
Dear 2011,
More bikes. Fewer taxis.
Love,
Leah
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