One of my favorite things about the holidays is watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. For some reason, I love the feelings of anticipation experienced as everyone around is counting “10, 9, 8,…” and the ball in Times Square is creeping downward. I have always wanted to spend my New Year’s Eve crammed into Times Square with all those people, wearing those funny glasses. There is truly something special about feeling like you are sharing that one moment with millions of other people. Or, at least in my case, with the thousands upon thousands of people up and down the East Coast. And I love hearing “Auld Lang Syne” playing in the background. It seems that one moment, literally the second between 11:59 and 12:00, holds so much hope, anticipation and meaning. Hope for good things to come in 2008. Hope that you keep your resolution. Anticipation for what the future holds. Anticipation for major life events in the upcoming year – weddings, births, graduations, etc. The new year means you can leave behind all the bad that happened in the past year and look back with memories instead of fresh pain. The new year means a fresh start, a new beginning.

And, of course, the time has come for remembering all the surprises and moments of 2007. If you are surfing the internet, browsing a newstand or even flipping the channels, you are bound to see year-end round-ups and countdowns. Just this morning, while checking emails and reading the news, I found countdowns of the year’s most horrendous financial meltdowns, most embarrassing celebrity events, most shocking political stories and an In Memoriam of the public figures who passed in 2007. The December 2007 issue of Global Traveler is centered on the Best of 2007 too, celebrating the airlines, hotels and travel programs that our readers voted the standouts of the year. Naturally, this all led me to think back on my 2007 – with my trips to India and Italy and getting my puppy as some of the highs.

What are your favorite memories from 2007?

- Kimberly Krol, circulation and public relations executive