Happy New Year!

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Happy New Year!” The steward shuffled down the aisles of the plane, his fingers prancing in the air, as the captain welcomed us into the year 2007. I tipped beverage cans with Tiffany, a friendly looking Nebraska girl on her way to visit her German boyfriend. I warned her of the German peculiarities I myself had slowly begun to pick-up; we then delved into the strangely normal travelling behavior of exposuring our personal fears and joys and sorrows. Another beer, another story, and I retired to one of the back seats of the plane to lay out and get some shut eye. Before I closed my eyes, I looked out the window of the aircraft into the dark voids surrounding us - below was the boding Atlantic Ocean, above was the starless night (why do you never see stars from an airplane? You’d think they would litter the heavens!). I smiled, patted a kiss on my cheek and wished myself a Happy New Year. It’s not often I’m able to remember all the events of a New Year’s Party.