At 11:45 p.m., we walked down a residential path to our beach, our sparklers and firecrackers in tote. At that point, the entire island had been blanked in a surreal fog made of smoke and you could hear faint whistles and bursts echo all throughout the island. When we got to our deserted beach, we lit our fireworks, cracked open the champagne, and frolicked in the warm water illuminated by the moon. My roommates and I still agree that it was, by far, the best New Years to date!