My Bite Out of The Big Apple: One Time Only

January 3, 2008

New Year's has never really been a huge deal for me. Since most years it was just too cold to even think of stepping foot outside, I came to associate ringing in a new year or two with watching Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve in the comforts of a home, lounging on couches and sipping on (spiked) hot chocolate. Unfortunately, this has led to my falling asleep before the clock even struck midnight and missing the celebration altogether, so I vowed to make this year different.

I think a lot of people my age have a list of crazy things they'd like to do before they turn 30. Welcoming in a new year in Times Square has been at the top of my list for quite sometime. Since I wasn't sure if I'd ever have the chance to be in New York over the holidays again, this year was the year that I'd be able to put a great big red checkmark beside perhaps one of my most ridiculously pondered accomplishments.

Ok, so looking back, standing outside for eight hours in the chilly, wintry air wasn't all that exciting. Despite our arrival in Times Square in the mid-afternoon, our viewing position after being herded like cattle into a holding pen, was nearly six blocks away from the giant Waterford crystal ball that would ultimately and timely descend down a flagpole as the clock struck twelve. With the lack of additional screens setup to keep the entire population of say Edmonton or Calgary entertained with the nights' ongoing events, we literally stood in a state of oblivion for the duration of a full workday.

So the purposeful act of dehydration (public restrooms closed in the early afternoon) to survive the night, bundling up in layers like I've never before, quarter-hour rotations in taking turns sitting down on the litter strewn curb, and making bets as to which predetermined city in earlier time zones would appear on the Jumbotron every hour leading up to New York's own countdown (providing us with ample practice in counting down from 10), turned out to be the excitement of my New Year's this year.

I'm not completely sure it was entirely worth it, considering how easily tempting it was watch it on TV like I occasionally have, but the atmosphere and thrill of being in The Big Apple on the 100th anniversary of the famous ball drop is without a doubt one experience I will never forget... and one experience I don't think I'll ever want to do again! It felt pretty good though to blacken out this event on my Bucket List, to say that I did it. I don't know yet what the next (crazy) event will be that I cross off of my list, but I'm almost certain of one thing... my plans for ringing in 2009 will likely involve someone's TV, someone's couch and (spiked) hot chocolate, much like it occasionally has.