You know one of my favorite things about being an adult?  No, not being of drinking age.  It’s finally knowing what you like, being ok with it, and acting accordingly.  As Amy Poehler says in her book, it is being able to say, “Good for you, not for me.”  I forgot this for a hot minute the other night and almost wrecked date night.

It started when some folks in the building proposed a happy hour to plan a holiday party crawl in the building at a local wine and cocktail bar.  I was all set to go, but then they had to switch the date and I couldn’t.  When date night was moved to a Monday and snuck up on us, I thought, “why not try this wine bar?”

It was raining when we set out.  These days it always seems to be raining.  We’d been warned about the rainy winters here.  “It’s just water,” previous me thought, “No big deal.”  Current me wants to smack previous me and make her spend days on end with the kids indoors.

It starts raining harder.  Even though we are armed with umbrellas, our lower halves are getting wet.  We’re getting uncomfortable.  We pass a backup location–somewhere we’d already been–and wonder if we should stop.  But no, I decree that we soldier on.  It’s date night!  We can’t “waste” it on something we’ve already tried!!

The rain keeps picking up.  We also keep noticing that everything in the neighborhood seems to be closed.  It is Monday after all, which means more is closed than usual.  If we walk all the way there and it’s not open . . . I can’t even bear to think it.  We press on.

Finally.  It’s open!  And trendy!  And completely deserted.  Seriously, we were the only people there.  More people were working than patroning.

So we sit.  I belatedly notice, it is definitely a cocktail bar and not so much a wine and cocktail bar.  I’m not a cocktail hater, but I’ve finally realized (with the exceptions of margaritas and bloody marys) that I’m not a cocktail person.  Wine and beer, yes please.  Cocktails, good for you, not for me.

The staff was nice.  We had very generously portioned complimentary antipasto and chips.  But it was cold in there.  So cold.  The trendy door was open.  We were wet and cold.

I got a cocktail and tried to make the best of it, but I couldn’t fool myself.  I didn’t want this drink.  I didn’t want to be here.  But I re-remembered that being an adult means doing what you want.  It was not too late to change course.  So we headed out to the backup location, Obica, and enjoyed a meat and cheese plate with wine in toasty warmness.

So I’m not not recommending Gotha.  My drink was tasty.  (They had a variety of cocktails, almost all at 10 euro.)  The interior was swanky.  I’m sure it is very happening when full of people.  If this sounds like your cup of tea, I say go for it.  Good for you, not for me.  I’m glad I tried it, if for no other reason than the one hour detour made me appreciate, and remember, what I really like.

Demonstrating my uncoolness

Gotha Cocktail Bar, V.le dei Parioli, 144/146, 00197 Rome, Italy   3493021505 / 068080325

Found yourself in any situations you weren’t feeling lately?  Did you stick it out?  Wisely bail before the situation even arose?