[326/365] Happy New Year!, Fireworks, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

So, this is officially my last post and photo of 2010. I didn't quite reach 365, but I think I came pretty close. I can't believe I continued it for most of the year! Just hard playing catch up when you sometimes skip a couple days. Anyway, 2010 has been a decent year I'd say. Mostly goods, some not so goods. I've met a lot of new people and continued and strengthened great friendships. I got to see a lot of the world and I'm happy to get the opportunity to do it.

I told myself though, that 2011 and my year of 26 will be my year of change. I have a couple of new years resolutions, but I'll keep those to myself. I hope that one year from today, I will be able to post and talk about everything that has changed in my life, and reflect on great experiences and having great friends and family.

Thanks for following my photo diary as I go through the year of 2010. I will be starting over at photo 1/365 tomorrow. Hope everyone has a very happy new year. Please stay safe and have fun! :)

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."

[299/365] Fireworks Show, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

 Spectacular fireworks as we sat and watched on the open grass area.

[236/365] Preparation for Mass Ascension, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Waking up before dawn never felt more worth it! We got to watch as the balloons started inflating and lifting off.

[231/365] Hot Air Balloons, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

So colorful! :)

[226/365] Lemonade Stand, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Happy Friday! This was one of the booths at the Fiesta selling drinks, as well as food. Really liked the display!

Lots and lots of catching up today with photos...and everything else in my life it seems.

[225/365] Dawn Patrol, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Every morning of the Fiesta, before the Mass Ascension, several balloons go up into the sky for "Dawn Patrol". The purpose is for them to make sure that conditions are set for hundreds of balloons to go up all at once. This was an HP-sponsored about ready to lift off!

[224/365] Fireworks Show, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

After the night glow was cancelled due to strong winds, the Fiesta organizers proceeded with the fireworks show. The sky lit up with bursts of fireworks and suddenly, towards our left, the firewords continued, seemingly coming from the ground. I quickly turned the camera left and it created this effect on a 20 second exposure shot.

[222/365] Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon in the Sky, Albuquerque International Balloon FIesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Waking up at 3:30am (2:30am Pacific time) never felt more worth it! It was amazing to watch each balloon lift up into the sky, bursts of fire creating the hot air to take the balloon up. Did I ride on a hot air balloon? No, it would have cost 350 dollars per person, and I was so amazed with everything else that I'm not regretful that I did. This Rainbow Ryders company was the only official balloon company to actually lift off from the Fiesta field -- all the people in there were ones that paid for the ride. Most of the other balloons that lifted off mainly just had the pilot and a few others associated with the balloon.

[221/365] Morning Mass Ascension, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

My attempts at attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta have been three years in the making! Third time's a charm, finally made it there and it was so worth it! We woke up at 3:30am New Mexico time to make it out to the field for the Dawn Patrol, a set of balloons that take off before sunrise in order to test conditions. By around 6am, balloons started lifting off all over the field all around us for the Mass Ascension. There are at least 500 balloons that are on display, flying high in the sky. They were all a multitude of different patterns and shapes. It was so beautiful! Many more pictures from New Mexico to come. It was a great weekend!