New Years in Japan

Almost every year I spend the new year watching the ball drop in New York on TV from my living room. Usually alone I might add. This year, however, was going to be different. This year, I will be in Japan. From the moment Nick asked me to go to Japan, it was our mission to get me there before the new year so we could bring in 2020 right.

I honestly can't remember a time that I didn't spend the new year sitting in my living room watching the ball drop on TV. So, this was obviously going to be an experience I'll never forget. As Nick and I got ready to head out, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous knowing how many people were also going to be there. However, this actually wouldn't be the first time Nick has done New Years in Japan, so I felt a little more comfortable knowing that he knew what he was doing.

As we walked down the many streets of Shibuya, Tokyo, I couldn't help but be amazed by all the different shops we passed by. We passed by so many familiar and unfamiliar places. We also came across a couple of cate and bunny cafes. I felt like a five-year-old wanting to pet all the animals that I saw. Although we didn't go into any of the cafes, they have definitely been added to the list of many things we plan on doing for the duration of our stay here in Japan.

We then made our way to a beautifully lit street. All the trees were covered in blue lights. I look around in awe at the beauty of this city. As we're walking down the street we keep hearing bells ring. We follow the sound to find a line of people waiting to ring these bells we were hearing. Beside them is a plaque explaining what the bells are. "These bells are said to bring fortune to those who ring," is what it said. They are "Bells of Wealth, Wisdom, and Love." So, of course, we had to get in line to ring them as well.

We continued to make our way to Shibuya Crossing. This is one of the busiest crossings in the entire world. And I can confirm that it is very busy. Although, I'm sure New Year's Eve had a part in the number of people there that night. Nevertheless, it was both incredible and terrifying seeing so many people in one spot.

I held on to Nick for dear life never letting anyone penetrate the grasp I had on him. We made our way through the crowd of people planting ourselves in one spot but making sure we had a great view of the countdown. At that moment all I could think about was how much I felt like I was in a can of sardine. Standing shoulder to shoulder with one another I could barely even find any space to lift my arms so I could take pictures and videos. I still clung to Nick as people were still moving and making their way through the crowd. I refused to let anyone get in between us. My biggest fear at that moment was getting separated from Nick and not being able to find our way back to each other.

After standing there for only a few minutes a group of guys turned to talk to us. Come to find out they weren't actually a group at all just a bunch of solo travelers that were trying to find other people that could speak English. There were a couple of guys from Australia, one from Holland, a couple from Spain, and a few others from the States. It was pretty cool getting to meet so many people from around the world. We ended up forming our own little group and stayed with each other for the duration of the countdown.

As midnight was approaching the air became crisper. It was so cold that not even us huddling up together was warming me up, not even in the slightest. We were all bunched together watching the countdown. As midnight drew closer everyone was pulling out their cameras to capture the moment. Nick and I included. 10 seconds left. . . 5, 4, 3, 2, Happy New Year! Nick and I leaned in for our New Year's kiss. Everyone around us was yelling and hollering. A new year, a new decade had now begun.

The main event was now over. Everyone is now trying to make their way back home. Nick and I made our way to the train station. This ended up being much harder than expected. With all of the people there I felt like a heard of cattle trying to get to the train station. After much pushing and shoving and attempts to get out of the crowd we finally found ourselves in the train station. As I sat on the train with Nick I just kept thinking about how crazy, exhausting, and amazing this night was.