secret to always having fun at parties

Two nights ago was the law school's Hallowe'en party, and last night's was for the Nicholas School of the Environment. Let's compare a bit.

• Law: Set at a proper club with legitimate bouncers, people checking IDs at the door, multiple bartenders, excellent sound system. Nic: Set in a forest maintenance shed off a gravel road off a little-used long driveway, some chick taking tickets/cash on the gravel road, open kegs and bags of wine floating about (people bringing their own mugs or glass jars), a low-key DJ.
• Law: 65% men. Nic: 80% women.
• Law: students only. Nic: a prof showed up with a bottle of Jack as part of his costume -- he apparently stayed all the way til 2am.
• Law: proper bathrooms at the facility. Nic: one porta-potty ("it's actually clean and fully stocked with toilet paper!") but most people just went in the woods or around the back of the maintenance shed.
• Law: I already knew virtually everyone there. Nic: I had only previously met 5 of the attendees.

 I wouldn't say one was definitely way better than the other. I went as a dirty hippie (I know, I know, hardly a costume for me), and was "in character" too. It was a great experience to be at these huge gatherings practicing being mellow and chilled out and blissed.

Fantastic!

So how to have a great time at parties? Even at the Nic party, where I knew next to nobody, I had a BLAST!

• I had decided in advance that I was going to be in a great, happy, indefatigable mood. 
• I didn't care what people thought of me when I was mingling with strangers who didn't particularly welcome me into their little dance circles. That's cool!
• I laughed ALL THE TIME, just a fun, why-not laugh, head thrown back in glee! 
• If I saw someone in a great costume or just really well-dressed or good looking (men and women) I'd say so! I'd walk right up and say "you look aMAZing!" and make happy eye-contact and laugh and prance!
• I didn't talk to anyone for too long in a row, always just flitting around and coming back and bouncing off and laughing back.
• If someone invited me to dance in a different corner, or go get a drink just then, or step to a quieter part of the place, etc, I said yes! People love it when you take them up on offers!

Not everyone is gonna like you, and that's completely fine! Doesn't mean you have to dislike them because of it, hahaha, no point in being bitter or petty in this short, beautiful life!