To-Do List #12 - Celebrate the New Year in Times Square

I have always wanted to spend New Years Eve in Times Square, so I suppose that was my first check off my to-do list in 2008, although many have been checked before that moment. My sister, Melissa and I arrived around 3pm and there was already thousands of people in the middle on Manhattan. With 9 whole hours until that ball dropped we found ways of entertaining ourselves (and holding "it" -- there are no bathroom breaks allowed!) We played I Spy with our new best friends on the corner of 48th st. and 7th... Melissa downloaded Jeopardy on her phone and her, Michael (more on him later) and I enjoyed that for a while. We discussed politics, health care systems in America and Holland. We sang along to favorite songs and made fun of Carrie Underwood's performance. It was everything I wanted it to be.

Now, back to Michael... While making friends with everyone around us, I noticed one guy by himself, laughing at Melissa and I... I mean, we are pretty funny (at least we think so) So later, we started talking to him, and eventually, he became our new best friend. Michael is from Amsterdam, so listening to his views on American politics was very interesting. I always love a different perspective. It was definitely wonderful to meet him, and what an inspiration he is! For the travelers of the world, he is up towards the top of the hall-of-fame list. Having been to more countries than I can name, always in hostels, always for weeks at a time. He has sky-dived well over 100 times. He was truly a breathtaking person, his life full of sorrow and triumph. It was a pleasure to meet him.

The night was perfect, the weather amazing and the crowd deafining. Each hour we would countdown for other countries, but when it was finally our turn it became surreal. Minutes before the ball dropped they played Imagine and everyone, that's about 1 million people, started singing along with my favorite song. Amazing. As the countdown started I just kept thinking I was there, I was in Times Square, I was finally doing it! The minute counted down, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR! I couldn't stop smiling, I didn't stop smiling - not for several days.

After the ball dropped and we possibly did some serious vocal cord damage from the many happy new year's shouted, we went off to find Dale, my best friend. He tried to meet us earlier in the afternoon, but the blocks were barricaded and couldn't get there, so we agreed to meet up later. Michael joined us at a great diner on the east side where we met Dale. Everything, after a year, fell back in to place, the best friends, the kindred spirits, the rabbit and the hare, it was all there. We talked for ages and he read my palm as always, we had amazing moments, and serious moments and perfect moments and meaningful moments like we always do. We talked about 2008 being our year. We decided our new years resolutions for each other. He said that mine was to let the world see what I saw in myself. To let the world see the strong, independent, caring, loving, empathetic side that I see in myself. I thought it was a brilliant resolution and I am trying to stick to it.