New York City is my favorite place I have ever been to. It is fantastically magical -- literally the concrete jungle where dreams are made of (shout out to my homegirl, Alicia Keys). I was fortunate enough to get to travel there for a day this past week. I willingly woke up at 5:00 a.m. because I knew the day would be unforgettable.

I took the train into Grand Central where I was meeting a good friend -- a friend from China who I hadn't seen in two and a half years. The timing of my train's arrival and her metro's arrival ended up being super awkward. I waited alone in the terminal for almost a half hour. But then I saw my friend running towards me, so all was right in the world. To hug her again felt like a piece of me had rightfully returned. We spent the morning catching up at a cute little hipster cafe near Bleecker Street, and I was incredibly happy.

She had previously booked an appointment at a salon for a haircut, which was supposed to last about a half hour. I walked her to the salon, and then walked around Little Italy and Chinatown while I was waiting for her. Her haircut ended up lasting about an hour and a half. I started to get upset because I was losing the few precious hours I had to spend with her. But she came out of her hair appointment so happy that I was in the city with her that this feeling didn't last.

Lunch was absolutely delicious. We went to a restaurant in Little Italy, and the pasta was delectable. It made up for the terrible service we received. After being rushed out of the restaurant, we walked towards the New Museum, where we wanted to spend a good portion of the afternoon. The museum had the longest line I have ever seen in my entire life, wrapping around at least three blocks. But again, I tried not to fret. We decided to take the metro back to Manhattan and go shopping, because what can go wrong with shopping?

We walked around the Manhattan Mall and then went over to the insanely enormous Macy's. I was having a ton of fun when my anxiety kicked into high gear. The crowds were large and the stores were huge -- my mind was whirring. I forgot that mental illnesses do not magically disappear when you're out having fun. But it was still okay because I was still with an amazing friend.

However, our day ended up being cut a little bit shorter than we wanted. Saying goodbye felt rushed, even if we did hug each other a thousand times, and we forgot to take a picture together to remember this day forever. After all, God knows if or when I will ever be able to see her again. She left Grand Central and I sat down and cried. Hard.

New York City is my favorite place in this entire world. How can I have a bad day here?

But here's the life lesson: we all have bad days no matter where we are or what we are doing. We need these bad days, no matter how bad they are, so that we can find the good in them and love the good days even more.

I thought my entire weekend was ruined because one day didn't go like I wanted it to. But the reality is, I was so blessed with the opportunity to see a fabulous friend who I don't see often, and we got to talk for hours about how different our lives are now. And I was able to go home to a family that loves me no matter what. And the day after, I got to ring in the New Year with one of my best friends from high school. God has given me so many gifts that one bad day cannot ruin.

Lastly, I want to thank a good high school teacher for repeating this mantra: "Everyday may not be good, but there is something good in everyday." I really needed this during that day in New York City, and I would not be able to see that day from an optimistic point of view without this lesson you taught me, so thank you.

2017, I'm ready to keep finding the good, as long as you keep sending it to me.