New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday. It may not even be an actual holiday as usually New Year’s Day is the day recognized by your employer but it’s absolutely a holiday to me. There was a year in my life when nothing was working out the way I thought it would be by then. I still had a little optimism left and the world was doing it’s best to crush it right out of me.

I had just graduated from college and moved back in with my parents. For lack of a better word, I was devastated. For a few months. After I picked myself back up, I decided to do things differently. I was ready to LIVE. You know, while I didn’t have actual bills to worry about. It was 2011 and I’d already made plans to spend Halloween in Las Vegas – which I also highly recommend! – and I wanted to be in New York for New Year’s Eve. My big brother lives there so I had somewhere to stay, all I had to do was get there! And I was hooked. New Year’s Eve is the one time of year when the whole world shares this joy. This indescribable amount of hope and positivity for the future. Even if it only lasts for those 10 seconds when you’re waiting for the beginning of a new year or until after you’ve finished singing Auld Lang Syne. It’s magical.

It had been 2 year’s since celebrating New Year’s the proper way: champagne, slight spontaneity and with an overall damn good time. I don’t even remember why I wanted to visit Thailand and I still can’t tell you what made me want to spend NYE in Phuket in particular. We could have spent the holiday in Bangkok and found a beautiful way to ring in the new year but Phuket was where we were supposed to be.

We caught a cab from our hotel to Patong Beach which was like a laid back Vegas, depending on who you ask. You could purchase silly string for just a few baht and spray whoever you wanted. It was all in good fun and nobody took it personally or went too far. There were children and adults alike with bars and restaurants open all along the main street.

Closer to midnight, we walked down to the beach to get a good seat. Which obviously doesn’t matter because you’re on a beach in Thailand for New Year’s! Who’s sitting down?! Not us!

The fireworks went off for over 10 minutes. It was the most incredible dream come true and I can’t wait to go back.

Do you enjoy NYE? How do you usually celebrate?