The most fitting adjective to describe 2017 would have to be "polarizing." Regardless of what might have happened in your personal life, a quick glance at what went down reveals that it's been a controversial year, to say the least.

From the divided political climate of Trump's presidency to the number of natural disasters and topics of debate, it's perfectly understandable that the great majority of us would love a palate cleanser of some sort to assuage the sour taste of 2017.

Thankfully, the world has seen many new announcements of things to come in the next year, most of which we should be gathering anticipation for. So as we look past the final wintery days of December 2017 and brace for the coming of January, let's take a look at some of the exciting prospects 2018 has in store for us:

1. The Winter Olympic Games: South Korea!

With all the excitement surrounding sporting events like the Super Bowl and the World Series, it's easy to forget about those events we're only blessed with every four years, like the Winter Olympics. 2018's Winter Olympic Games will take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 9 to 25, so start readying your patriotism and getting ready to cheer your heart out!

2. The FIFA World Cup: Russia!

Another awesome part of 2018 is that it'll witness not one but two quadrennial sporting events, the second one being the FIFA World Cup. 2018's World Cup will be held in Russia and will take place from June 14th to July 15th, the perfect time to take a break from doing nothing over summer break to instead watch nations all around the world clash in a good old tournament of football.

3. Breathtaking new video games, like...

"God of War", "Marvel's Spider-Man", and "The Last Of Us Part II" on the PlayStation 4, "Metroid Prime 4" and "Yoshi" on the Nintendo Switch, and "Far Cry 5" on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Overall, 2018's an exciting year for games, sequels and original titles alike.

4. LOTS of new TV, including...

- Marvel's "Jessica Jones" Season 2 in March and "Luke Cage" Season 2 (Date TBD) on Netflix

- "Westworld" Season 2 in July on HBO

- "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" in January on FX

- "Black Lightning" in January on The CW

- "The Handmaid's Tale" in April on Hulu

5. Another royal baby!

For those not keeping up with the happenings of the royal family, Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine are expecting their third child in April of 2018. The baby will be fifth in line for the royal throne, which bumps Prince William's poor brother Prince Harry down the line of succession. It is unlikely, however, that he will care considering he and American actress Meghan Markle are set to marry in May.

6. Lots of exciting new movies like...

- "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" in January

- "Black Panther" in February

- "Ready Player One" and "Wreck-It Ralph 2" in March

- "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Solo: A Star Wars Story" in May

- "The Incredibles 2," "Deadpool 2," and "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" in June

- "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" in November

7. Awards season!

Film enthusiasts have even more to anticipate than all the new movies lined up. January of 2018 marks the start of awards season, during which shows like the Golden Globes and the Oscars recognize the best in film and television of 2017. Maybe you're like me and you're dying to see if there'll be a cringey mix-up like last year, or maybe you're just excited for all the gifs that'll inevitably come out of the gathering of intoxicated celebrities. Either way, awards season is an exciting time for all.

8. A chance to go to space!

Elon Musk's company SpaceX has recently announced that in 2018 it will be sending two citizens into space for a week-long trip around the moon. Sure, it's slightly disappointing if you weren't chosen to go, but it is exciting to know that interplanetary tourism will soon be more than just science-fiction.

9. Toy Story Land is opening!

In case the thought of commercial flights to space didn't make you squeal like a child, there's a chance this new theme park development will. Disney has announced that summer of 2018 will see the opening of Toy Story Land at Disney World, themed around the successful "Toy Story" franchise. It'll feature new rides like the "Slinky Dog Roller Coaster" and "Alien Swirling Saucers" and is sure to conjure up some delightful childhood memories.

10. Midterm elections!

Despite the politically turbulent climate of 2017, the future looks somewhat hopeful for those unhappy with the current political standings. 2018 will see the United States midterm elections, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 senatorial seats contested. A total of 468 congressional seats, the outcome of these elections could mark a turning point to counteract the second half of Donald Trump's presidential term.

11. Virtual reality for optimal escapism!

Even though virtual reality is still only in its earlier stages, countless announcements have promised that exciting developments would be coming, and that they'd be coming fairly soon. Facebook's Oculus, for example, has been trying to shift virtual reality into the mainstream, especially with the Oculus Go, a slick $200 headset with no smartphone required, set to be released early 2018.

Despite the recent tribulations we've had to endure at the global scale, 2018 looks to be a promising year, complete with exciting developments in a vast variety of different areas. No matter your interests, the coming year likely has something in store worth your anticipation, so keep your head held high as we bid 2017 farewell and let 2018 usher in new waves of positivity.