Before entering the park at around 4pm, we stocked up on food and heat packs. However, when we got to the entrance we found out that we had to buy a special pass for the countdown party, and couldn't use our year pass. It was really frustrating, but we weren't going to let it ruin our day. So, we bought the tickets and waited until 6:30pm to be let in (after eating a hearty meal at Saizeriya).
The countdown DJ set didn't start until 9pm, so we used this opportunity to go on as many rides as possible. We started the day strong and it was so much fun. I felt a little sick on some of the rides at first, probably because we had just eaten, but I enjoyed them anyway. The highlight rides of the whole night were definitely Jaws, Harry Potter and Spiderman! Despite it being absolutely freezing when we went on the water rides, they were some of the coolest (especially because it was night time).
The DJ set started and so we decided to head over around 10pm. We had seen a bit of it while trying to get to different rides, but didn't really stay for very long. We (me and Kazu) really wanted to see Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's producer perform. We really hoped that she would come out as a surprise guest! But, unfortunately it was just the lead singer of the producer's band. For a good 10 minutes, though, we swore it was actually Kyary and got really excited, but she just looked super similar. It was kind of disappointing! When the countdown started, the projections on all the buildings went crazy and everyone was dancing. It counted down and while we were all shouting along with the numbers, I barely felt like I was in reality.The past year has been so stressful and it hasn't been all that amazing. But, coming to Japan has given me such a new perspective on how I live my life. I can see that in Adelaide, I don't live enough. But, once I start trying to do things everyday, I am so much happier. I don't think I could stay in Adelaide merely for the lack of adventure. I want to travel and see the world, and I want to live in an exciting way. I'm so thankful that I overcame the stress of applying for exchange so that I could make it here. I have no regrets when it comes to this exchange - even if it hasn't been perfect the whole time. I've made some of the best friends and I was so lucky to spend the first minutes of 2016 with them.
After the countdown, people were in a frenzy. Some people went home, others just scattered around the park. We, however, ran for more rides. By 2am, it started raining and we decided to get pizza at the New York style pizza place in the park. We were feeling kind of horrible, but I think we all perked up after eating. Since we couldn't get back home until first train anyway, we planned to stick it out in the park for as long as our bodies could handle. By 4am I was the coldest I had ever been in my life. I had stuck heat packs to my stomach, put them in my shoes and my pockets. Nothing seemed to help with the cold burn. Once the sun had risen, it was funny to see all the people sleeping in the park. One major thing I have noticed in Japan is that people will leave their belongings in the open, and never expect it to be stolen. In fact, it doesn't get stolen. We joked about how easy it would be to just take a suitcase of a sleeping person on the ground. It's a luxury to leave things wherever and not have to worry about it.
The final ride of the day, wasn't meant to be the final ride. We thought to ourselves that we could get a nap in the Terminator 4D experience, before continuing on with our USJ adventures. But, what we didn't realise, was that the seats rise at some point, and when the finale comes they all suddenly drop. It was one of the rudest awakenings of my life. After that, we were completely done for the day. We wanted sleep more than anything. Unfortunately, whenever we have a full night out, we are always too far away from the dorm to feel good about the journey home. I'm pretty certain that if I was in Australia, I would have just caught a cab (I wish).
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