I vividly remember being with my closest friends on New Year’s Eve of 2015 and quietly panicking to myself because I had this gut feeling that 2016 would bring change to my life. I’m not sure what this stemmed from. I knew I would be graduating high school and moving hours away for college during the year, however, that was not the only reason I felt uneasy about 2016. My uneasiness on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day was honest. It was preparing me mentally for the year to come. 2016, to say the least, was unkind to me.

I experienced so many things during 2016, including but not limited to graduating high school, experiencing my first real breakup with my first serious boyfriend, my first internship, moving out for the first time, starting college, and multiple hardships involving my family happened this year. I also experienced tons of blessings this year.

Here is my reflection on 2016 and what the year taught me.

This year taught me so much about relationships, both platonic and romantic. Relationships are not always good. Sometimes they can be toxic and extremely hurtful. Sometimes the hurt is unavoidable. Not everything is worth arguing over. There comes a point when the line has been crossed and you’ll have to stand up for yourself. You can’t always fight for someone to stay in your life. If they don’t treat you as well as you deserve, let them go. They are proving to you that they are not worthy of your love anymore. Although I do not know what the future holds, I do believe if someone changes, and I mean truly changes and matures over time, then you can give them a second chance. Maybe they truly do play a bigger role in your life in the future, however, for now, their part in your life is over. Let them go. Sometimes letting a past significant other go also includes the collateral damage of letting go of your mutual friends, no matter how close you are to them.

Letting go can be so hard. How long someone has been in your life should mean nothing if they treat you terribly. I have made friends that I’ve known for four months that treat me better than friends I’ve known my whole life. I’m so thankful that I began college without being in a relationship and being tied down. College is a time in everyone’s life that you are able to be a little bit selfish. Be selfish with your love. Be selfish with your time. Do what is best for you, and those who are meant to be in your life will come and stay. There is such a thing as bad timing. However, I think it is a choice that you make. When someone says, “it’s just not the right timing” they mean to say that they aren’t mature enough to make the decision to fight for it even though it won’t be an easy fight. Let them mature and go do your own thing. Those who are meant to be in your life will find you.

2016 has taught me lots of life lessons the hard way. I’ve learned everything that this year taught me through not very fun situations.

However, 2016 has brought me so blessings.

I let go of relationships that were no longer healthy to me. I got out of situations where someone wasn’t treating me the way I deserved. I started my first job that I actually, truly loved and enjoyed. I’ve met so many amazing women through that job that have helped me through some of the hardest things I experienced this year. I look up to those women and they all hold a very special place in my heart. I became an aunt(!!!!!) to a beautiful little baby boy. He is such a blessing to my family because we all had a tough year. Lots of things changed for me in 2016, but I refuse to look at that as a bad thing. If nothing ever changes, your life cannot move forward and you cannot move on to bigger and better things. In 2016 I started college. It’s been an amazing and occasionally lonely time, but such a fun experience. I rushed and joined a sorority and met some of the most amazing friends through it. I learned that pulling all-nighters during finals week are the worst thing you could do. I think the biggest lesson I learned in 2016 is that life will teach and show you what you need to know in order to succeed and move on into the future.

It’s easy to say that 2016 was the hardest year of my life. I experienced heartbreak, loneliness and devastation, but I also experienced extreme love, compassion, happiness, comfort and success. Everything I went through this year strengthened my faith more than I could’ve imagined. I’ve met some of the best people that have ever been in my life. I’ve learned so much about life and myself this year.

So, here’s to you, 2016! You were hard, but I am leaving the year a little, OK a lot, tougher than I was when 2016 started. Thank you for teaching me (almost too many) life lessons this year. You truly were a blessing in disguise. And, here’s to 2017! May this be everyone’s best year yet.