This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.
For many city-dwellers, the last straw was the surge pricing Uber announced Monday, which could see the cost of cars rise eight-fold at midnight on New Years' Eve. For many more, it was the various other forms of surge pricing associated with the evening: the cost of a babysitter (if you can find one); the cost of drinks (if you can squeeze through the crowd to the bar); the Happy New Year hats and 2014 glasses (worth everything today and nothing tomorrow).
Year after year of noisy, urgent revelry on the last night of the year has left many of us wanting something more fulfilling to mark the passing of 2013 — especially given that it falls in the middle of the week. Yoga studios are reporting increasing numbers for silent midnight meditation. Celebrities such as Billy Crystal are trumpeting their plans for a quiet night in; he'll be talking to the grandkids on Skype.
See also: 10 Reasons to Stay Home on New Year's Eve
Then there's this mock-up for a poster based on every bad New Year's Eve party ever, which has been doing the rounds on Facebook and Tumblr (where it has more than 10,000 likes) every year since 2011. It seems to capture a certain sense of exhaustion with the blow-out party concept:

The problem, clearly, is that our expectations for New Year's Eve go way beyond what is possible or even likely. We want some glorious epiphany, an ecstatic confetti-filled dancefloor, the life-changing kiss at the end of When Harry Met Sally. We might even have a shot at attaining it, if we weren't already exhausted by the major holiday a week earlier (and the other major holiday a month before that).
Let's not even talk about the average temperature, or those million poor souls freezing their butts off in Times Square as I write, with another five hours to go before the ball drops. (Hi, guys! Are you sure you wouldn't be more comfortable watching the livestream indoors with a few friends?)
See also: The Man Who Says 'Go Confetti' on New Year's Eve in Times Square
If we go all out, the night we get very rarely lives up to the hype. We're rewarded with overpriced drinks, overpriced and scarce transport, and very likely many unflattering pictures broadcast across social media. Why not pick another night to go all out? You've got 364 to choose from, and nearly every one would be a better choice than December 31.
Ah, but there's the need to create a memory, isn't there? A mental snapshot of where you were and what you were doing as 2013 turned into 2014 that you can refer to in future years, and perhaps convince yourself it was a more awesome way to celebrate than it actually was.
But memories thrive on novelty, and big parties year after year are the very antithesis of novelty. If instead you choose the low-key option, gathering with a few friends to hoist a glass and play a game or two, that will stand out in your mind as the year you had a mellow, relaxing time. Your Facebook pictures will look better, even if the backgrounds contain fewer people.
Wherever you end up, remember that it hardly matters. 2014 will not be defined by how you ring it in, but by the work you do year round, the friends you make and nurture. May it be a happy, prosperous and relaxing twelve months for us all.
Image: EMMANUEL DUNAND, AFP