New Year, New Decade, New Post (Same Me)
Happy new year! I hope your New Year’s Eve was as much fun as ours was and that you got to spend it with the people you care about most.
I’m not one for new year’s resolutions, but I do think that (most of the time) if you’re not changing at least a little, you’re not growing. I know a lot more about myself than I did even a year ago, and I hope I get to keep growing and learning and building relationships with people who make me better. I’m grateful to have the supportive group of friends and family that I do and hope to get to keep adventuring with my partner, my lover, my person.
Arc de Triomphe - Paris, France - 01.01.20
NYE in Paris:
New Year’s Eve in front of the Arc de Triumph (with an estimated 400,000+ other people from all over the world) was the big reason Brock and I chose to stay in Paris (the one city I was most excited about) during this time on our trip. We stayed up later than normal the day before NYE and slept in (at least as late as Brock can ever sleep in) the day of so that we’d be ready to stay out all night and enjoy the show.
Here’s a look at how close we got to the Arc and how many people were there (Bear with me; My gimbal stopped working two weeks into the trip).
The Wait:
I was a little nervous about not getting a good spot or getting there too early and not finding a bathroom (there weren’t any available and most bars/restaurants nearby were full), but it ended up working out well. The Arc de Triomphe was about a 3K walk (it took about 30 minutes once you factored in the crowds walking there and security to get in), and we arrived around 8:30 PM.
We pushed through the gaps between people toward the Arc (as much as we could without blocking someone’s view or pushing into anyone) and made our way to about the middle of the group of people waiting for the show to start. It was still pretty early, so the sidewalks to the left and right of the trees lining the street where we were standing (it was blocked off for this event) were almost empty. A lot of people were sitting on the sidewalks lining the street eating fast food and talking and drinking (you could bring a plastic bottle with no lid, so whiskey sodas were abound). Just like with any big show or festival, after a while, some people up front left or moved, so spaces opened up for us to get close enough for Brock (not me, I’m 5”1’) to see where the front of the crowd started.
There were DJs (I didn’t recognize them, but a few people around us did) and laser lights and cool textural effects running along the Arc. People danced and cheered, and one guy climbed up onto a street light pole in the front and stood up to wave at the crowd (luckily he didn’t hurt himself or anyone else). We wound up standing next to six or seven super nice people that we talked to until the pre-countdown show started.
The Final Countdown (Appropriately by Europe):
Around 11:25 PM, the Arc displayed a loop of statistics about tourism in Paris for NYE (the number of restaurants opened, etc.) including a random number continually getting higher of “French kisses exchanged”. Very cute.
At 10 seconds ‘til midnight, the countdown displayed on the Arc, and so many people shouted along with it. And then, BOOM! The Arc displayed 2020, and fireworks shot out from behind it. Everyone was yelling and kissing and taking pictures with cardboard “2020,” glasses and wishing the people they just met a happy new year.
Getting Back Home:
The walk home was a lot more chaotic but a lot more fun. It took a while to navigate through the hoards of people and blocked streets, but most people were considerate and courteous. After about 25 minutes, we made it to a stand by the Eiffel Tower, grabbed a croque monsieur and a fromage sandwich (basically a grilled cheese with better bread) and took them up the six floors to our room where we ate them (sans pants) and watched The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. We stayed up wishing our friends and family a happy new year (from the fuuuuutuuuuure) and fell asleep full, warm and happy.