Day 322: 2004 Draws To A Close

Spending New Year's Eve on a tropical island is a surreal an experience as any could be. I had to keep reminding myself that it was *December!* No snow, no sub-arctic windchill, no Christmas trees. Instead just sun, sand, and surf. Well, that's fine by me! Why settle for a White Christmas when you can have a White Sand Christmas? Haha! ;-)

For New Year's Eve we splurged and had an 'expensive' dinner at one of the beach-front resorts. For about $20 we had this delicious buffet dinner that had turkey, mashed potatoes, roast beef, grilled fresh tuna, prawns, stuffed crab, exotic veggies and salads, and tropical fruit flan for dessert! Yum!!! And it was right on the beach, surrounded by a hundred candles, mere metres from the crashing surf. And under a perfectly clear starry sky. What more could you ask for?

Addie and I had a few drinks at a few different bars on The Strip after dinner. (Katie had gone home to rest and reflect on her year.) We discovered that there wasn't really 'one big party' anywhere - the party was really just in wandering around all night like everyone else was. We mixed and mingled in a jinglin' beat and had a great time. At about 11:30pm we went down to the beach where most of the people had gathered to hang out. A few minutes later the New Year's Eve fireworks began. And they were amazing! There must've been about six or seven different 'stations' all along the beach that were launching fireworks all at the same time. Picture 3.5 kilometres long of simultaneous fireworks and you can begin to imagine how spectacular it was! No matter where you looked, there was some colourful explosion going off above you. WOW! What an awesome way to ring in 2005!

The show lasted almost a full hour and then when they ended we wandered around some more. We went back to Cocomangas but it became swarmed with teenagers so we quickly left there. We ended up running into a bunch of our new friends that we had met earlier in the week and had drinks with them. There was Peter and Trina from Denmark, Justin from England, and Kathia from Manila. It was so fun and relaxing and just a great chill night - wonderful friendly lively atmosphere everywhere we went. Laughter and lights beneath the palms and happy friends running around in the sand. So cool!

I did a lot of reflecting too about my incredible year. 2004 went by in a blur and was most definitely the adventure of a lifetime. Only six weeks of it was spent in Canada, the rest here in Asia. The S2H World Tour was officially launched on Valentine's Day of this year and turned out to be so much more than I ever could have imagined. The things I've seen and experienced, the joys and the adventures and the challenges and the excitement, all the great people I've been able to meet and the friendships I've formed. Incredible! 2004 pushed my own frontiers and perceptions, and opened my eyes to entire new worlds within our planet. I grew in ways I never thought possible, and have come out such a stronger, more confident, person. Planet Earth has become my playground, and I love it! I was meant for this unusual and exotic lifestyle. I always believed that I was born to take the path less-travelled, to live the life less ordinary. And this certainly is it. I am so lucky to be living out my dreams!

After stimulating conversations and alcoholic libations, contemplative reflections and ponderings of life, socializing and losing myself to uncontrollable laughter, it was finally to turn in the towel and return to bed. 2004 has been truly amazing, and I know that 2005 will be even more of an adventure! I wish all my friends and family the best for this coming year, and hope that all your goals and ambitions are everything you hoped for!

Happy New Year! :-)