Wow, what a complete disaster 2016 has been. I literally don't know how anyone could possibly dispute that this year has been one of the strangest, most terrifying, and most genuinely concerning years in recent memory (and we haven't even gotten to the actual election yet!). Fear not, I'm not going to get political in this article (I wouldn't even know where to start with that, to be honest), I'm just going to get a little reminiscent. After all, with Vine shutting down; the deaths of Prince, David Bowie, and Alan Rickman; Brexit; and the fact that Truman is making my graduating class have three separate ceremonies so that I can't graduate with half of my friends, it's just kind of hard to overlook all of the really unfortunate things about this absurd year. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if someone wrote down all of the bullshit events that took place in 2016, it would sound more like some kind of elaborate joke/dystopian novel than an actual year of human history.

Anyway, despite all of 2016's shortcomings, I'm going to try to look on the bright side (however dim it may be) and find some things that actually turned out okay. I know I might be a little bit premature seeing as this cursed year isn't even over yet, but the other day I got super emotional rewatching my favorite Vines for two and a half hours so please let me just have this. Plus, it's gonna be nice having a concrete list of good things already written out when things inevitably go from bad to worse to devastating in the last two months.

1. Manatees are no longer endangered

As anyone who knows me even a tiny bit will tell you, manatees are the only thing I truly care about on this wretched earth. While they have only been downgraded from Endangered status to Threatened status, this is still an improvement that I have cried/am crying/will continue to cry about. How bad can things really be in a year where precious sea cows are alive and thriving?

2. Portugal ran for four consecutive days on renewable energy alone

Using only wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, Portugal managed to fulfill its entire country's electricity demand for 107 hours. That's, like, a pretty big deal. Not only does this show us that renewable energy is a real thing that countries are doing--it's also really working! Hopefully, more and more countries around the world will look to Portugal, Germany, and other renewable energy "powerhouses" when it comes to making progress toward utilizing clean energy.

3. "Hamilton" became the most-nominated production in Tony history

And for a good reason, too. Like, this show got people who don't like a. musicals b. history c. hip-hop/rap to like all of the above. That's absolute nonsense. And this show would go on to make history with a record-breaking number of nominations and win a Pulitzer Prize (among a lot of other things it definitely made history for). Also, we got one of the most moving and emotional acceptance speeches ever from Lin-Manuel Miranda, paying homage to the Orlando shooting victims.

4. Volunteers in India planted 50 million trees in one day

As a means of helping to fight climate change, over 800,000 volunteers planted 49.3 million trees in a single day, setting a world record. Although there's still work to be done in making sure that the saplings stay alive, it still shows the kind of change we can make if we actually come together to make a difference. That was an incredibly cheesy sentence, but like, it's still an incredibly cool thing, especially since climate change is a serious issue that no one is really talking about.

5. Goats are as loving as dogs

As scientists confirmed this year, goats can actually be as loving and as clever as dogs! In fact, goats will even "gaze imploringly at their owners" when trying to complete a task like getting a treat. If that sounds familiar, it's because it's a trait common in dogs. Who knows, maybe in a couple years goats will challenging dogs for their title as man's best friend.

6. JoJo has released a new album

In 2016, ten years after the release of ultimate mega-jam "Too Little, Too Late", JoJo has blessed us all once more with a new album. She's still just as talented as ever, if not more so, and how grateful we are for it. Honestly, it feels like a piece of me has been restored after years of never even knowing what was missing. Also, it's called "Mad Love" and is now available on iTunes.

7. Every day that passes brings us closer to 2017

What may just be the most incredible thing of all, with every new day that we wake up terrified for what this year could possibly throw at us next, we are coming one day closer to the end of 2016. I'm choosing to look at this as a good thing, as this year has been one exhausting and/or confusing event after another and (maybe this is just stupid optimism) I can't help but think that 2017 just has to be better than 2016. It has to be, right? Please. I'm literally begging.