College. We all grow up hearing about the place where those that came before us experienced the "greatest four years of their life" (though I distinctly remember them saying that about high school, too, and I'm not entirely sold on that one). Movies, the media, and stories of years past all relay the same central message about these four short years- they are the absolute peak and epitome of a college attendee's life. I, however, hope that this isn't true.

I believe in a little quote taken directly off the shores of a Grecian beach in Mamma Mia 2- "may the rest of our lives be the best of our lives". When I first heard this quote from one of the Dynamos in the movie, I thought that the idea seemed almost ungrateful to the past. The past has many wonderful moments and to say that we hope and believe that none of those memories could be considered our best seemed disrespectful to the memories themselves. Soon after, I realized that the idea doesn't disrespect the past-it only holds hope for even better things to come.

Though it may sound silly, this quote exhibits just how vast and unknown the future really is. It is yours to create, and I hope that we all craft such a great one that each New Year's Eve we say, "wow, this truly was the best year of my life". And all of our friends and family will laugh and say that we said that last year, and actually the last ten years. But just because we say it once doesn't mean it can't be topped, each and every year that we create ourselves.

We shouldn't be afraid to have hope for bigger and better things. Hope is what drives and motivates new innovations, technologies, medicines, and more. Without hope, there is no motivation to look past the present-no idea of a future. In the fast-paced and constantly changing world that we live in today, the future is unavoidable. It needs to be acknowledged and looked at head-on. Though we live in a time when the future is not always painted as a pretty place, the potential is there for it to be absolutely amazing.

There are so many things that I personally have yet to do, such as travel the world with my very best friends. I am sure that in the coming years, when up on a mountain in Tibet or walking through the streets of Morocco like I have planned that I will believe that those moments are some of the "best". But it is also true that we don't need only one "best"-my twelfth birthday pool party could be a best, and being chosen the head section leader of the clarinets in high school band could also be the best. If our lives are ours to create, then we can also create the rules.

My new rule is that there is no limit to the amount of "bests" that I can fulfill in my lifetime. I hope that with every year comes a new "best," and I wish the same for all of you. May we all continue living and growing, and in the words of the wise Dynamos; "may the rest of our lives be the best of our lives."