Meme: 4 panels of a man progressively putting on clown make up and wig.

1st panel: memorize a few scripts and jokes

2nd: remember to ask people questions about themselves and give them compliments

3rd: have a few practice conversations with myself before attending

4th: I'm going to fit in so well at the party.

Edit: Woo! I did it. I didn't really need to prep since I wasn't expected to socialize, just ask random women to dance. I asked a few ladies I had never seen to dance. They were pretty new and nervous, so I made sure to authentically compliment them and build their confidence. Afterward, I found a few ladies I had known for a while, and danced with them. One was fantastic! She had legit natural rhythm and was fun. I haven't had a dance partner like that in while, so I hope I get to see her more often. There was one new lady that was obviously a professional dancer, and I wanted to see what I could pull off with her, but ofc she was taken every time I went looking for her.

The shitty part was that it was wayyy too crowded, there were no quiet places, and drunk people were unintentionally rude with their lack of spatial awareness, so I would leave and go next door to take a sound break. My head is still ringing. Maybe I'll take sound dampening ear plugs next time. But in summary, it was nice. I plan on going more often, even if beforehand I think I am going to look like a clown 🤡