2016 was a fascinating year for all. Everyone might have different experiences when it comes to how last year went for them, but we cannot all say it was entirely a great year we want to mention in the future. Particularly, for me, 2016 was a long roller coaster ride. The first half of the year was the best experience I had, for I pulled a miracle and achieved a higher GPA for the first time in my college career. I also got to spend part of my summer on the trip of my dreams, studying abroad in the UK. Somewhere along the lines, though, the roller coaster went a little too high and decided to fall at a speed so fast that by the end of the year, I was exhausted and wanted to vomit.

So, now, lucky for all of us, it is a new year, which means I am starting a new ride, and it is starting off slow. Everyone has resolutions and goals they want to accomplish for the following year, whether that is to lose weight, travel more, get a good career job, graduate, or even drink less. What is so special about this year for me? Well, this year, I am not making any resolutions. Resolutions are like when you write a to-do list and tell yourself you need to do all that is on the list to feel organized and satisfied. Then, in the middle of cleaning your room, something goes wrong, and suddenly, you hate yourself and decide to watch The Bachelor instead, forgetting about everything else on that list. I am a goal-oriented type of person. I love setting goals for myself, for if you set goals, you are more determined to complete them.

I can guess right now, you are asking, what is your goal for 2017? Well, it is a simple answer. Continue to dream big. Now, I can feel you saying, "What? That isn't a clear goal." It might not be clear for you, but it is for me. I am a dreamer. I love to think of what opportunities are out there for me. Everyone has dreams, whether it is to travel to your favorite country or meet your favorite celebrity. We all have dreams of things we deem impossible because we assume that there is a small chance our dreams will come true. If you think about all of your favorite celebrities, they all had dreams for their talents to be recognized and star in a movie or sing at a concert. Famous people in every aspect of our society and history had dreams of changing the world, and if they did not have those dreams, they wouldn't be where they are. Dreams are what you make of them, and like my favorite princess, Cinderella, once said, "A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep."

What does all of this have to do with my goal for 2017, then? What does it all mean? Well, I want to continue dreaming of the impossible, so I can make them possible. When I was a kid, my wish was to travel outside the country, explore all around the world. Last summer, after constantly keeping that dream alive, I finally got to live it, and I got to go to London, my favorite city in the world. With my stubbornness and determination, I did something not a lot of people in my family got the chance to do. So this year, I want to dream even bigger. I want to make 2017 my year of possibilities. I want to go to Paris to study abroad one last time. I dream of going into bridal wear for a career and being able to work in another country. I wish to be on the dean's list before I graduate and to treat myself to a car finally. Not all of my dreams might come true, but that doesn't mean they are not impossible if I work hard for them and set goals.

So, this year, instead of making a resolution to lose that extra ten pounds, eat healthier and exercise, study harder, or travel more, make goals and start to dream. You never know how much satisfying it is not to have to stress about keeping a resolution. Make a dream board of all of the things you wish to do this year then set individual goals for each dream so you can manage on accomplishing them. There are articles and websites dedicated to making dream/vision boards, and you can gather inspirations from Pinterest. Write out your goals and make sure to have it visible in your dorm/apartment/house so that you can be able to be reminded of what you are aiming for. Even get a mason jar and create a dream jar, for every time you accomplish a dream or goal, put something into the jar like a picture or something significant that reminds you of that goal.

Don't be afraid to dream big! Life is about taking risks, and if you want to hike to the Grand Canyon, go for it! We all learned from 2016 that life is too short, and we may never know what can happen in the future. So go out there this year and live your dreams.

Just like Cinderella said, "If you keep on believing, that dream that you wish will come true."