2016 was a year that was long-awaited. High school graduation, starting new as a college freshman; these things weren't just dreams, they were expectations. 4 years of high school, 4+ years of college-- success was an inevitable outcome, right?

2016 was a year that did not go as planned. My big city college dreams were met with unexpected opposition: all-consuming anxiety. And not just your typical homesickness or homework stress; but the realization that I had not taken a single breath before diving headfirst into a new chapter of life, simply because I thought I had to do what everyone else seemed to be doing.

So I did what before I thought to be impossible. A week and a half into my freshman year of college, I packed up all my things and moved back home. And it was terrifying. How could I possibly explain to everyone why I left? How could I go back and face family, friends, and former teachers without feeling like a colossal disappointment? How could I watch all my friends live the college life that I had always envisioned for myself? How could I keep the words "college dropout" from hanging over my head?

But i still went through with my decision. And despite my apprehensions, I have not regretted that decision one time. And I think that's because there's something to be said for not always making maps for your life. I have found myself to be remarkably more content by taking the time to clear my mind and evaluate what my next steps should be, rather than to just plow toward the next destination on the map I've made. Maps tell us exactly how to get where we're trying to go. Sometimes they are great, helpful devices. But sometimes isn't it better to not know exactly how to get to the destination, and to learn what we can from taking the wrong turns here and there?

2016 was a year that I learned something important: Uncertainty is inevitable, but fear should never have the power to tell us to spend our lives making maps.