Dear 2016,
I have to admit; it's been an extremely long year. It was a leap year, an election year, and the year of self-realization. There were deaths and bombings, disasters and storms, happiness and love, and lots of online shopping. There was a lot of traveling, stress, exams, papers, and tons of excellent books and movies. There were also a lot of unexpected events and outcomes, some good and some bad. Overall, this year has been unlike no other.
This year is the year I finally realized what I am truly passionate about and what I want to be when I'm older. I realized that spending time alone, by myself, is necessary if I want to be in good mental health--that I don't need to be around people 24/7 to be happy. This year cemented what I knew before about friendships; friendship is a two-way street and if the other person does not put enough effort in, why should you?
This year I counted all my blessings. It's been a crazy year around the world with mass shootings, bombings, terrorist attacks, and more. This year I took the time to count my blessings and be thankful for my health, my safety, and my life. The world can be such a scary place and often we don't think too much about it because it makes us sad and afraid, but what we feel is only a portion of what people who experience the unimaginable are feeling. I can only imagine how it feels to be evacuated from a war zone or try to figure out how to recover from a massive earthquake. These are things I hope I never have to experience, and things I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemies.
This year I thought about every person in my life and how they have impacted me. I am so fortunate to be able to say that I am surrounded by a large group of talented, fearless, strong, and intelligent family and friends.
So yes, this year has been quite a whirlwind. We lost the likes of Alan Rickman, Prince, and Muhammad Ali, to name a few. We watched from afar as the city of Aleppo crumbled and then went to the movie theaters to watch "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them."
No year is full of only ups and no year is full of only downs. Hopefully, 2017 brings more peace, more love, more unity, and more success for every single person around the world. Nobody on this planet deserves to live in fear, to live in poverty, to live without wifi.
While this year has been full of the unexpected, I am so thankful for everything that happened to me because I have become more aware of who I am and who I want to be -- and isn't that what people spend years trying to figure out?
