As I sit here and write this a couple of months have passed from New Years Eve.I moved to the Royal Highlands area approximately 2 years ago. For all who don't know where the Royal Highlands is, it is located on the West Coast of Florida just north of Spring Hill. I have been living in the Hernando County area for well over 8 years and working as a Realtor-Associate for Tropic Shores Realtyover 3 years.On New Years Eve kicked off our first annual New Year's Eve block party. A few of us neighbors got together to coordinate the gathering and then spread the word. I met several people who were from my hometown area of Upstate New York. Oh Boy what a night it was. We blocked of the street and had a huge block party with cornhole, food, DJ, fireworks, dancing, and kids laughing and playing galore. We all brought goodies and cooked out on this chilly night to mingle with our fellow neighbors. As we were dancing and laughing away, I noticed a couple with their small little boy (about the age of my son) standing at the edge of the driveway just watching the gatherings going on. I could tell by their body language that they were contemplating whether or not to come over. I walked over to them and introduce myself and asked them to join. They immediately agreed; with their son hand and hand they joined the party. They actually didn't live on our block but lived down by the Hexam Rd area. They were visiting their parents and just recently had a new baby. I introduced them to several of the new neighbors that I had met. It was great to meet with them and we talked for a few hours finding that we had a great deal in common. We laughed and watched our boys play. As the New Year was closing in, we sang and danced as strangers now became friends.We counted down from 10 until we reached 1 and we all erupted in jubilation.Everyone began hugging their neighbors and passing on inspirational words to one another for a prosperous New Year! It was a really great experience to meet wonderful people in our neighborhood that have now become more than just our neighbors but friends. It really hits home that now is a great time to go outside and meet your neighbors.