There are a lot of milestones in all of our lives. Some of them good. Some of them bad. And some of them in-between. But everything that happens to us changes us.

Over this last year, I've really come to love the word change. It's come to have a very positive meaning for me and one that has pretty much stopped conjuring up thoughts of foreboding or any type of fear. In fact, if I had to give 2016 a word that would describe it, I would choose 'transformative.' (I've been using this word A LOT lately, so forgive me if you've heard me use it about a million times by now.)

Now, I don't mean this to be a 'new year, new me' post. (It's the middle of January, c'mon, people.) But taking away the years, these last 12 months have been the best of my life. I don't mean to say that it was easy. I definitely had some very difficult weeks. But even amidst hard times, I really found joy. For the first time in years, I can honestly say that I am happy with my life and the now.

But I can't take credit for what this last year has meant to me. It's the people that truly have made my life meaningful. I had never really understood what friendship could mean until this year.

I talk about them too much. I spend way too much time with them. I watch WAY too much TV with them. I laugh way too much with them. I lose my voice way too much with them. I'm away from home way too much because of them. I'm way too happy when I'm with them.

And I have way too much joy in my heart but I am so, so thankful for all the transformative change this last year has brought to me.

I haven't known my friends for long- not even a year. But we've had enough adventures to fill a lifetime. I've shared laughter with them, and I've shared tears. We've shared deep talks and told stupid jokes. We've had early, early mornings and late, late nights. We've had awkward moments and injuries. We eat way too much Cane's and sit in a car too long. We aren't that cool and that definitely makes us the coolest. We watch Bollywood movies without subtitles and try to guess the plot lines. We call each other out when we need it. We stick by each other when someone needs it, and we love each other through the stupid mistakes we make. We have fun nicknames, and sometimes people accidentally pee in cars. And I can't imagine my life without them.

I never thought I would find my friends in high school, but I did. I never thought I would meet my best friend by playing a game of Would You Rather at Panera but I did. I never thought I would have people that got me but I do. I never thought that I would have friends that cared about me as much as I cared about them but I do now.

My friends come with lots of surprises and sometimes everyone is a little too spicy. But they're my family and I know that even in the years to come when we all live in different states and have different job and maybe some of us will have kids they'll still be the people I want to call to talk about my day and the people that'll ask advice from. Even with miles and miles between us they'll still be my family.

I'm so thankful to be able to look back and see how much I've grown in just a short year and I'm looking forward to the growth and change that this next year will bring too.