I'm backkkkk!! So, have a crazy story to share with you guys! As of Dec29th, my husband and I didn't have any set plans for NYE. We had the regular options: clubbing, hotel party, house party, or just go out to dinner and chill somewhere else after. We bought tickets to a hotel party (which aren't cheap by the way!), were about to book a room at the hotel, when I sarcastically suggested to my husband..."how about NYC honey?" I italicize "sarcastically" because you see, my husband's worst nightmare is spending NYE in a really, really crowded place, perhaps somewhere like Times Square. But at that moment, I don't know why, I don't know how, he said "LET'S DO IT!" and sooo we did!
Now I'm pretty sure you've watched the ball-drop in Times Square at some point in your life. There about a million people that go every year, from all over the country and all over the world. Most of them plan it weeks and months in advance, get there pretty early to get a good view. So you can understand why we were a little scared about just picking up and driving to New York, ON New Year's Eve, AFTER work! But somehow, somebody likes us up there^^... we hit ZERO traffic! We made it into the city by 6 pm. Of course by that time, all of Times Square was blocked off. Revelers, as they call them, were lined up up to 37th street (the ball-drop is at 43rd street). Determined to not let a few hundred-thousand people get in our way, we walked up 6th avenue to find a way to get to Times Square. There were cops and barricades everywhere, we literally had nowhere to go! We begged and we lied, we even made a reservation at a restaurant in Times Square, so we could somehow get past the barricades. We were hopeful, but that light at the end of the tunnel was slowly fading and I was starting to feel very guilty about dragging my poor husband out to New York. And then, from the dark shadows of 44th and 6th, a stranger approached us and asked us if we wanted passes to get past the barricades. This man was a manager at one of the restaurants in Times Square, so all we had to do was buy a drink or something at his restaurant. So, now we were at the corner of Times Square. Almost there. We didn't really have a view of anything from where we were standing, but I didn't care! We were in Times Square, and we were more than content just being a part of that atmosphere. We stood there for about an hour, singing songs, chatting with fellow "revelers", just having a jolly ol' time. And then, another god-sent stranger (well, he was a NYPD cop) walked up to us, took about 20 of us, and moved us to...wait for it....RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BALL-DROP!! The people in that section had been standing there since 10am, so you can imagine how pissed they were! Anyway so there we were, 2 blocks from the mighty Waterford Crystal Times Square ball. We have seen Dick Clark's NYE special countless times on television, but believe me when I tell you, being there first hand is just exhilarating. There are very few things that can compare to experiencing basic human emotions with about a million other people. We were tired, yet singing and dancing along to every song. We were hungry, yet sharing food with strangers. We were anxious, yet excited to be there. We were cold, but the everyone could feel that warmth of love and hope in the air. It's just a feeling I can't describe. It may sound cheesy, but it was almost overwhelming how happy and united everyone was. There were people from China, Japan, UK, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, South Korea and so many other places in the world. But at midnight when the clock struck twelve, for a brief second, we were all New Yorkers. They played "New York New York" By Frank Sinatra, and they could not have picked a more perfect song. People were hugging and kissing, the sky was completely covered in colorful confetti, and all you could feel and hear was laughter, well wishes and happiness. It was, quite simply put, a beautiful thing.
It seems like 2011 wasn't a very successful year for most people I know. It had its ups and downs, and highs and lows. But as long as your have your loved ones by your side, life can't be too bad ;)
Happy New Year ya'll, and here's wishing everyone a beautiful, successful, prosperous, healthy, joyous, safe, and a year full of nothing but love! CHEERS!
Now I'm pretty sure you've watched the ball-drop in Times Square at some point in your life. There about a million people that go every year, from all over the country and all over the world. Most of them plan it weeks and months in advance, get there pretty early to get a good view. So you can understand why we were a little scared about just picking up and driving to New York, ON New Year's Eve, AFTER work! But somehow, somebody likes us up there^^... we hit ZERO traffic! We made it into the city by 6 pm. Of course by that time, all of Times Square was blocked off. Revelers, as they call them, were lined up up to 37th street (the ball-drop is at 43rd street). Determined to not let a few hundred-thousand people get in our way, we walked up 6th avenue to find a way to get to Times Square. There were cops and barricades everywhere, we literally had nowhere to go! We begged and we lied, we even made a reservation at a restaurant in Times Square, so we could somehow get past the barricades. We were hopeful, but that light at the end of the tunnel was slowly fading and I was starting to feel very guilty about dragging my poor husband out to New York. And then, from the dark shadows of 44th and 6th, a stranger approached us and asked us if we wanted passes to get past the barricades. This man was a manager at one of the restaurants in Times Square, so all we had to do was buy a drink or something at his restaurant. So, now we were at the corner of Times Square. Almost there. We didn't really have a view of anything from where we were standing, but I didn't care! We were in Times Square, and we were more than content just being a part of that atmosphere. We stood there for about an hour, singing songs, chatting with fellow "revelers", just having a jolly ol' time. And then, another god-sent stranger (well, he was a NYPD cop) walked up to us, took about 20 of us, and moved us to...wait for it....RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BALL-DROP!! The people in that section had been standing there since 10am, so you can imagine how pissed they were! Anyway so there we were, 2 blocks from the mighty Waterford Crystal Times Square ball. We have seen Dick Clark's NYE special countless times on television, but believe me when I tell you, being there first hand is just exhilarating. There are very few things that can compare to experiencing basic human emotions with about a million other people. We were tired, yet singing and dancing along to every song. We were hungry, yet sharing food with strangers. We were anxious, yet excited to be there. We were cold, but the everyone could feel that warmth of love and hope in the air. It's just a feeling I can't describe. It may sound cheesy, but it was almost overwhelming how happy and united everyone was. There were people from China, Japan, UK, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, South Korea and so many other places in the world. But at midnight when the clock struck twelve, for a brief second, we were all New Yorkers. They played "New York New York" By Frank Sinatra, and they could not have picked a more perfect song. People were hugging and kissing, the sky was completely covered in colorful confetti, and all you could feel and hear was laughter, well wishes and happiness. It was, quite simply put, a beautiful thing.
It seems like 2011 wasn't a very successful year for most people I know. It had its ups and downs, and highs and lows. But as long as your have your loved ones by your side, life can't be too bad ;)
Happy New Year ya'll, and here's wishing everyone a beautiful, successful, prosperous, healthy, joyous, safe, and a year full of nothing but love! CHEERS!
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