The Exit Strategy 👋

I've been thinking a lot about the Irish goodbye.

You slip out of a party without saying a word. No hugs. No waves. Just gone. My husband loves this move. Loves it.

It does have its place. If it's a packed event and you're there to show your face, the Irish goodbye is less rude and more efficient.

Confession: one time Bob and I walked into a party we felt we had to attend. It was at a long narrow house, there were people everywhere in every room, the backyard, shoulder to shoulder. We said hello to the host, who was clearly in demand, made one polite lap saying hello to no one we knew, walked out the back door and got back in the car. Total time inside: maybe four minutes. It was a drive-by. We are not ashamed.

Now, I grew up doing what Bob calls the Cuban goodbye.

You don't leave a party, you close it down. You say goodbye to every single person, their spouse, their cousin, and the person you just met in the kitchen. It takes longer to leave than it did to attend. I used to do this. Proudly. I have to admit it was exhausting.

So imagine my surprise when recently, before we even left for a party, Bob gives me a pre-game warning about his early bedtime and reminds me not to do the Cuban goodbye.

Excuse me? I've been reformed for years.

Here's where I've landed: intimate dinner with people I love, of course I'm saying goodbye. I'm not a monster. But a big party? A crowd of people who won't notice? I will absolutely vanish. Clean. Dignified. No drama. No exit tour.

How about you, Irish goodbye or Cuban goodbye?