The Mega day has arrived and 2008 is going out with a bang!
The big day was here! Alex, Anna, Devi, and Wendy can all back me up when I say this party seemed like it was in the planning stages FOREVER, from the time it started out as just an idea to the night we were putting up decorations in the boat. And then, like a vapor, it was over before we could catch our breath. Luckily, we have the memories, the pictures, the new friendships, the rekindled friendships, and....video! Well, the video is a whole other story. When I traveled to Europe I packed all my video equipment and tripod so that I could video throughout the night. But, when the night was halfway over, only then did I remember my video camera! I am so disappointed about the lack of video. I did, however, take a few clips with my digital camera.
Okay, let me tell you about this special night, and some of the fond memories I have of co-organizing this huge event....
It was sometime back in May of 2008 that this idea of a NYE meetup was first born. Lauro, Devi, Wendy and I were chatting back and forth on one of the forums about doing a NYE bash in Amsterdam that would break all meetup records; hence, the name mega-meetup. Once we all agreed on committing to co-organizing this meetup, Lauro started a forum. Within a few days we already had dozens of confirms and maybes. And then some bad news hit...Lauro found out he would not be able to attend the meetup and relinquished his organizer status to Alex. But the silver lining in this cloud was that Alex was a perfect fit since he lived in NL and could do the leg work that I couldn't do.
I believe the credit for such a successful meetup goes back to the fact that our organizing team meshed well together. From recruiting and promoting to keeping the books and planning the events, the team worked hand in hand in every facet. And something else that I hadn't given thought to...every one of us had already met each other in person, so there was also a chemistry working in this co-op! As the saying goes..."It's not rocket science, just good chemistry!"
On the big day we went to the boat early to begin setting up and decorating. We put up TB posters, balloons, and streamers; set up tables for the wonderful food that Anna brought and tables for all the party favors; we also prepared all the miscellaneous things for when people would start coming in: we had a sign-up sheet, wristbands from Dennis, name tags, TB buttons-compliments of Eric, and the Farthest Traveler shirt that everyone would autograph.
The walk back to the Movenpick hotel was quick and brisk. Swimming would have cut half the distance off, but I wisely decided not to get wet. I returned to the boat sometime around 9:30. A few more TBs had shown up by that time. The official start time wasn't until 10:00, but a few were anxious to get it started!! I spent some time outside weathering the cold as I greeted people coming in...and the steps down into the boat were just a bit tricky to navigate, especially for the ladies with heels.
The DJ kicked off the music, and by this time the numbers were growing! It was quite exciting to see friends I had met before, as well as those who I only had talked to on TB. When Jim and Joy arrived, I made sure to give Jim his license plate from Zimbabwe Africa. He had asked that I look for one last summer, so now I finally gave it to him. The poor plate had crossed the Atlantic twice already! haha At around 11:30 the DJ was turning the microphone over to me for some announcements and opening ceremonies.
By the time midnight came, we had over 70 people! Many went to the top deck for the countdown, and to light the sparklers that Anna brought, as well as to watch all the fireworks going off around us. After the New Year was ushered in, we took a group photo in the parking lot by our boat! Sometimes it is difficult to organize such a large group for a picture, but this went off so smooth! I appreciate the cooperation to get this picture.
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