By the time we finished breakfast, people had already begun claiming spots within the gated enclosure. The anticipation of the night ahead was visible in every face we passed, tourist or local. The shops closed early, and we returned to our hotel room in the afternoon, ready for the night of our lives.

I followed the back of my dad’s brown loafers through the crowd, keeping a firm grip on my sister’s wrist. We arrived at the Quay on the dock of the Harbor and climbed a set of narrow stairs until we emerged into one of the most beautiful dining rooms I’ve ever seen. Night had just begun to fall, and fresh bouquets of flowers adorned tables draped in white cloth. Just beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass on the other side of the restaurant lay the Opera House, shining and glowing, practically bathing in its own aura of opulence.

After feasting on the most delectably prepared fish I’ve ever had, we made our way to the dock, joining the tourists spilling out from the recently arrived cruise ship. Sailboats decorated with red Christmas lights ambled through the waters, preparing us for the festivities to come. I smiled as a warm, salty breeze playfully ruffled my skirt, knowing that everyone back home was just waking up to a frigid, snowy morning.

Before I knew it, we had only a minute to midnight. I closed my eyes as the chanting swelled from all around the harbor. What would 2013 look like? I had a long year ahead of me, but I knew that I could make it through.

I opened my eyes as the crowd shouted “TEN!”

I breathed in the balmy air. “NINE!”

I watched the last sailboat disappear behind the cruise ship. “EIGHT!”

I looked up at the twinkling stars. “SEVEN!”

My sister readied her new camera. “SIX!”

The chanting grew louder as the anticipation mounted. “FIVE!”

I saw a camera flash light up the Harbor Bridge. “FOUR!”

I squeezed my dad’s hand. “THREE!”

I looked up at him and could see the Opera House reflected in his eyes. “TWO!”

I fixed my gaze on the horizon, literal and metaphorical. “ONE!”

With a passionate explosion of magnesium, barium, and copper, the Australian sky was ablaze with an impossible amount of fireworks. They danced through the clear night, reminding me of chimerical creatures. I was one of the first in the world to get a glimpse of the new year. I stood shoulder to shoulder with my family, none of us uttering a word as we let the spellbinding array of lights and sounds guide us into the future.