I can see 2017 on the horizon, so that means 2016 is finally in my rear view mirror and I couldn't be happier. 2016 has certainly been a roller coaster year. It had it's amazing high points and some not so great low points, it wasn't really "my" year like 2015 was. However the one silver lining to 2016 was that the whole world also thought 2016 was a crappy year, so hey I wasn't alone in thinking 2016 was kinda off its rocker.

See, now 2015 was "my year" as dubbed by Mom. I graduated from high school, started college at Arkansas, went abroad for the first time to Paris and London, went beachin' in Hawaii, made some killer friendships, plus loved and lived a lot. For me 2015 held a lot moments that I wish I could go back and live in forever, while on the flip-side 2016 did not. There were a few, but certainly not as many as in 2015. Now with 2017 on the horizon, I am hopeful that there will be countless memories, moments and events that I can say come the end of 2017, "wow I wish I could live in that moment forever".

I've been thinking that 2016 was the awkward middle child of years. 2015 was great as most oldest children are ;) and I am hopeful that 2017, the youngest child, will turn out like 2015 and not take after poor awkward 2016.

2016 was bumpy. The world lost some amazing people like actor Alan Rickman, musician David Bowie, boxer Muhammad Ali, actor Gene Wilder, and Prince to mention a few. We all endured the heck that was the 2016 Presidential Election and somehow we are going to have to muster that same "get through it" attitude for the next four years. *pauses to throw up a prayer* Somehow the death of the gorilla, Harambe, had a bigger social media following than any important issue in America for that matter. For months on social media all I saw was #ripharambe or #d***soutforharambe, because you know we Americans keep it real classy on social media. Pokemon Go was also a thing. Yay people left their house and were outdoors, but they had their faces in their phone trying to "catch them all." Honestly don't even leave your house if your nose will be glued to your phone the whole time, you got look up from that phone to enjoy life. Also let's talk about Brexit. Somehow one of the most powerful nations in the EU just votes to up and leave it? I may not understand it all, but sounds kinda off to me, just like the rest of 2016.

So 2016 had its weird social phenomena, sad celebrity deaths and politics, politics, politics and oh, did I mention politics galore? But amidst all the weird things that happened it was a year of growth for me. Not everything in 2016 went my way, like I found it doing in 2015. I had to tough out some really rough patches in all aspects of my life. I learned what I am truly made of and how strong I am in hard situations. I learned what heartbreak is. I worked on improving myself. I studied so much that my brain is mush about now. I was afforded some amazing opportunities, like writing each and every week for the Odyssey, mentoring some kick butt freshman business students and finding out I will be kicking off 2017 in Vietnam on a study abroad program. I crossed some things off my bucket list like going behind the desk at SEC Nation, meeting Tim Tebow, watching [multiple] Razorback Football games from the sidelines, meeting Jordan Speith, finally going to ACL and seeing real snow for the first time. I watched my sister grow up to finally be that senior in high school. My mom turned 50 and my dad bought an electric guitar. As much as I bagged on 2016, it did have it's laughs, tears, smiles and happy days.

Goodbye 2016. Thank you for the valuable lessons, time of growth and odd year of politics and social media followings. As I look to 2017 I hope for bigger and brighter things. A year of more things getting crossed off my bucket list. A year of growing and learning more than I did this year. A year a whole lot better than 2016.

Here's to 2016, the year we can say we all made it out alive, and to a 2017 to top all years.