doghat2I like parties, but I like them under my terms! I am an introvert, and after a certain amount of time around people, I run out of energy and get cranky and want to go home and be alone. Yadda yadda yadda. You know all this stuff already.

But, my husband is an extrovert and loves being around people. Rut-roh.

For years, I dreaded the party conundrum. Sometimes I wanted to leave a party early–but he was having a great time. Or, perhaps I wanted to skip a party altogether but he didn’t….and what kind of partner would I be if I made him go alone? That’s not very nice.

Gatherings became something I would dread because the night would often end in frustration–mostly at myself. Do I have a right to want to go home early? Enjoying parties is normal, right? So I’m the weird one because I want to leave early. But then I’d think–that’s not fair! My desires are just have valid as his. Me wanting to leave early is just as valid as him wanting to stay longer, isn’t it? Should I just suck it up and pretend to have fun even though I was miserable, or could I bail? Then, if we did leave early, I felt guilty that I made him leave when he was having fun. It was a problem with seemingly no solution.

But then I found the solution.

Take two cars.

I can’t tell you HOW AMAZING it feels to have an out. I have the freedom to leave when I want and my husband can stay as long as he wants. Plus, I don’t have to feel guilty about making him leave early, which is huge. Everyone wins!!

(Note: I wrote this post years ago, before Uber and Lyft were very popular. Of course these ride-share apps give you even more options!)

Related blog posts: Taking a break from a party