A Warm Welcome to 2013

Celebrating the start to another exciting year in Sydney, Australia was surreal. Typically, I’m not a huge fan of NYE – the hype always seems to lead to disappointment, but this year, I couldn’t of asked for a better way to ring in 2013.

My two roommates and our friend visiting from Perth decided to forgo the fancy Harbor restaurant/bar parties, and, as travelers, the option to celebrate on a boat (with prices starting at $400/head) was just not an option. Instead, we packed up a cooler, grabbed a blanket and boarded a bus to Birchgrove Park in North Sydney to meet up with some friends for a low-key picnic party.

Fellow NYE revelers at Birchgrove Park

We spent the late afternoon and evening leading up to the 9 pm and midnight firework shows enjoying the perfect weather and admiring the amazing views. With approximately 2 million people expected to flood the areas around the Harbor, this relaxed park was the perfect location for us (and it was one of the few BYO allowed parks, woohoo!).

My roommates Brittany and Jess, me and Brittany’s college friend Joe from Perth excited for 2013

Yurulbin Park, our ultimate lookout point for the fireworks

The only downside to our outdoor festivities was the fact that there wasn’t a group countdown and Auld Lang Syne singing. But that was easily forgotten once the sky was filled with the breathtaking $6 million firework show. Never in my life did I imagine I would be celebrating the New Year in one of the world’s most notorious spots alongside people from all over the world. It was an amazing experience.

Our view of the bridge and city

2012 was one of the best years of my life, and while I’m not sure where 2013 will lead, I’m excited to find out. Happy New Year’s to all my friends and family all around the globe!