The Ball Drop experience:

The winter break was just fantastic. I went to New York to spend the Christmas with an American host family. Due to the fact that we do not celebrate Christmas in my country Afghanistan, it was a great experience for me to see all these love, care, and happiness on everyone’s face. Decorating the Christmas tree, singing Christmas songs, watching Christmas movies, and hoping to see Mr. Santa, were some of the things I did during the break. Overall, it was really fun to see all the families are back together and enjoying the moments of happiness together.

Right after the Christmas day, I went to Brooklyn, New York to spend the new years there. In fact, my friend and I had already planned to go and experience the Ball Drop in Times Square with over a million people. During the week which I spent in NYC, I got a chance to try different kinds of food, including Afghan, Arab, and Russian food. I was really missing Afghan food since I came to America, due to the fact that there are no Afghani restaurant in Canton, Ohio. Thus, it was a good chance for me to eat my hometown food again.

On New Years Eve, we decided to go to Times Square to experience the biggest ball drop in the world. The weather was extremely cold. In order to get to the front row, and the closest to the stage, we had to go there early during the day. Therefore, my friend, Mohammad and I went there around 12:30 afternoon. Basically, we were standing up, and waiting on the same spot for almost 12 hours until the ball drop. We didn’t eat or drink anything because we didn’t want to go to the bathroom. Once you left your spot, you could not get back there. After the ball drop, I barley could walk because my knees were sore. In the beginning it was snowing, and after that the weather dropped down to 0 F. The weather was cold and windy. Honestly, a few times, I decided to go back home. I thought I would not be able to do it, but I managed to stay in that cold and see a couple of celebrities, take good pictures, be on TV, and experience the Ball Drop.

Finally, I would like to say that it was one of the most fun things that I have ever done in my life, and I am sure that I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN. Although, I had a great time in NYC, let me tell you that I missed Walsh everyday. I was counting days to get back to school, see friends, and meet new professors and students.

It’s good to be back…