Christmas has come and gone, so the beginning of a new year is right around the corner. Most people are probably making a list of the things they want to accomplish during the upcoming year, but shortly after January 1st, the list will get misplaced, and so will some of the items on the list. I'm not a big believer in resolutions. I firmly believe that if you have to wait until a new year rolls around to start something or try something, you probably don't really want to do it anyway. If it was important enough to you, you would start the second you get the idea. Resolutions come and go, but it's you that decides whether a resolution becomes a reality. Whether or not you lose that 20 pounds, whether or not you save up and take that trip to Cancun, it's all up to you. For me, a new year doesn't mean I get to finally start something. It means I get to continue what I've been doing: living.

So, my New Year's resolution is: I hope to grow, change, evolve, adapt, and overcome even more than I did this past year. I hope 2017 leads me to new things and takes me on new adventures. I hope I get one step closer to graduating college, and one step closer to becoming a full-fledged, real-world adult. I hope I meet new people, try new foods, learn to love something I've always hated, and do something that has always scared me. I hope I pet a bunch of dogs and drink a lot more coffee. I hope I start new habits and end some old ones. I hope I discover an interest in something new, and I hope I go to more concerts. Truly, I hope I never grow tired of living. Life is a beautiful thing, but we're only here for the short time we're given. So, I intend to live it up. 2017 is not going to be "my year" because I hope that I get more years than just the one.

2017 isn't an ending to 2016. It's a continuation of all the living I've done this past year. If 2017 can promise me new opportunities I've never had, then I think I'll be okay. I won't waste my time making resolutions that I know I will lose interest in anyways; so keep your resolutions. I simply want to live more, and for me, 2017 will be all about doing just that.