19.

Kids Around the World Tell Us Why 2015 Won’t Suck

A year means so many memories about life. I think people don’t want to leave the good memories. They are afraid about possible coming bad news. Actually that’s psychological, because it’s always the same for every year. But when the new year comes, we sail to new adventures, we open hopeful doors, or we find the person we were waiting for. That’s why we wouldn’t be sad and think negative about 2015. Because there will always be a good part of a year.
—Defne, 12, Istanbul

I’m optimistic about 2015 because personally I don’t think the world could get any worse than it is now, unless they discover a worse disease than Ebola, which I hope doesn’t happen.
—Mira, 11, Hong Kong

I am excited for a party I’m going to have.
—L, 9, Chicago

To me, I always think that our life is like a Web browser. The Web is like the earth to me, it is always filled with surprising facts, as we always “browse” through the Web, to learn new things while we grow up, to make our life more fun and interesting. We grow up every day, save what we have learned and we refresh the page every year, and start a new year.
—Kaitlynn, 11, Hong Kong

One of the things I have been waiting for almost one and a half years was a building next to my house to finish renovating. Every morning I wake up it is there just making noises. Causing me to wake up earlier than usual during the weekend. The building will finish renovating somewhere in early 2015. So that will be interesting to see how quiet it can be around the house without the renovation!
—Ric, 11, Hong Kong

I am excited for a snow blizzard.
—T, 10, Chicago

In 2015 hopefully there will be a lot of cool stuff, for example hover boards and a cloning device so I can clone ice cream when I eat it so it will last forever, or I can clone myself and the real me can stay home and clone more and more tubs of ice cream to eat and the clone can go to school. And I also hope that the military invents a drone that shoots down terrorist planes and stuff. I just hope that a lot of cool stuff happens in 2015 and it will be totally AWESOME! And I hope I can go to America and go shopping for Nike shoes and pants because they are cool.
—Ethan, 11, Hong Kong

I really hope I would be able to go on more holidays and have fun in them. I could go to new, thrilling theme parks, and water parks. Also, maybe I could go to my dream places, like Iceland, where the hotel is made of pure snow and the blankets are made of reindeer fur. :-)
—Shanting, 11, Hong Kong

I’m really looking forward to starting school!
—Amelia, 5, Hirschau, Germany

Kenn, 6, Shanghai: What that mean, “next year”?

Mom: Now is December, and January 1 is coming soon which will be new year. Is there anything you are looking forward to next year?

Kenn: Ummm, I want to eat cotton candy!

Mom: That doesn’t have to be next year.

Kenn: Then, I want to get full score on the test.

Visit grandpa and stay over for four nights! And barbecue and swim! But not if the water is too deep, or if there’s a sea monster, or a shark. And to fish a big fish! … And ninjas!
—Kaarlo, 3, Helsinki

I am looking forward to parties, traveling to France and Japan. I am also looking forward to my teeth falling out. Oh and I am looking forward to moving the TV back downstairs and changing the furniture back to the way it was.
—Pacifique, 6, Bangkok

I am excited for my mom’s birthday.
—K, 10, Chicago

I am looking forward to having a computer when I am a grown-up and a treasure box. Having pink hair. I am also looking forward to getting rid of our dog Machu and having a pet fox with a ribbon instead.
—Claudy, 4, Bangkok

Illustrations by Ana Benaroya