Some Call It Amateur Night

The clanking of crystal, the sound of people puking, random strangers swapping spit- yes this may be a normal Tuesday night for some but for most people these are all the sounds of New Years Eve. Crazy, 2012 is already here! To think that the millennium was 12 years ago and that I could have a 12-year-old child running around calling me daddy is crazy and another reason I haven't been back to the city of New Orleans. Each year my responsibilities get bigger and I start to go to bed earlier…normally with no sex. But not NYE! Some call it amateur night but I don’t care. I call it a night to raise hell and to do everything I wouldn’t do on a normal night! I'm not waking up in my own bed or in Gastonia with a strange girl I met at The Waffle House this New Years. For one I'm spoken for and two this NYE falls on a Saturday of all nights. This means one to two nights to recover as well as extra travel days for a unique out of town NYE celebration. Thanks to the help of my friend Erik who has more stamps on his passport than athlete handprints on a Kardashian's ass, these cities listed will leave you with nothing but the best NYE celebration of your life!

Let's start with a U.S destination, Sin City: Las Vegas
We all know the saying, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," (except for the herpes.) What other city in the States parties like a rock star every night let alone NYE. No matter where you are in Vegas expect to celebrate New Years for every time zone. 9 p.m? I'm hammered sucking face screaming Happy New Years! 11 p.m.? I'm hammered sucking face screaming Happy New Years! Midnight? I'm hammered sucking face screaming Happy New Years—wait I do this in Charlotte for NYE too, only here I have thousands of people following my lead. Getting here is no problem only a few hour flight with deals constantly running. The parties?? To list would cut in to my drinking time, too many!

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand. And boy does she on NYE. Actually over 2 million people do here, thongs and dongs all erupting to a 24 hour party on the beach! The biggest New Years party in Rio de Janeiro, and in fact one of the biggest outdoor New Years celebrations in the world, takes place at the famous Copacabana Beach. Plenty of luxury hotels offer NYE packages. Definitely get your night started at the amazing Copacabana outdoor event and then see where the kooky night takes you. On a side note, it is the middle of the summer now in Rio, so you can get your tan on in the middle of the winter!

Sydney, Australia
Sure it’s a hike mate but the firework display on the harbor here will have you hallucinating fireworks all the way back home to the states. Several affordable cruise companies offer cruises around the harbor which is where you need to stay towards. Sydney's annual Shore Thing party along Bondi beach will host Snoop Dog and world class DJ's this NYE. Glebe Island will be hosting several concerts with well known bands too so check out the line ups and attend what music you want to dance and forget to and go from there. Screw the shrimp, your liver and brain cells will be on barbie after leaving here!

Edinburgh, Scotland
Hogmanay baby! Hogmanay means "great love day" but in Scotland it means "It's New Years, lets party!" Either or sounds fun to me. Expect four days of non stop parting, That’s right FOUR DAYS! Each night is broken down to a tradition, starting on the 30th with a torch light procession. Bonfires fill the city nightly which is where the late night parties can be found. And talking about a NYE celebration view? Fireworks over the Edinburgh castle? Edinburgh is arguably the biggest and best NYE party in world. On the official New Years day be sure to be at the Street Party or the Concert In The Gardens- or both!

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Cheers!
Sean Flynn, Nightlife Editor