365 days, 365 more chances
Dear 2016,
Well, it is time for us to say good-bye, but before we part ways, there are some things I need to tell you. Yes, you probably think this is going to be a mushy-gushy letter to you and how you changed my life for the better. And you’re right in that respect. But do you know you also made my life miserable? Between the college rejection from my dream school to losing a person who I thought was my best friend, I wanted you to go away. However, I am not here to scold you, but rather to share with you how you made me into a believer of “new year, new me.” If you knew me a year ago, you probably know that I wasn’t into the cliche of “new year, new me.” It wasn’t because I thought the saying was stupid, it was because it was almost as if I was making a false promise to myself. Every year, December 31st was the same. I would watch the ball drop, ring in the new year with my family, go to sleep, and then wake up the next morning as if it was just a normal day. Every year, I would try to get off this never-ending roller coaster ride of family struggles, broken friendships, etc. but nothing seemed to work. But then you came along and all that changed. You came along with new lessons, new people, a new outlook on life, and most importantly showed me that “new year, new me” was no longer a false promise.
It’s funny how much everything has changed since you came along. Especially the people that both entered and left my life. I look back at my first 2016 Instagram post (let’s be honest, we all have one) and I look at the people in the picture. One of them was my best friend for six years. Note the word “was.” Yes, that’s right, I lost an important person to me, who I thought was going to be there when I needed her the most. But as I scroll through the rest of my Instagram feed, I see that one person who I lost was replaced by so many other wonderful people whom I know will always be there for me. Two of the three people who came into my life are still in high school and one is about to begin a new chapter of her life. And while I am 300+ miles away from them, not only will they always be there for me, but they both gave me a new outlook on life and keep me laughing every day.
The people you introduced me to are the ones who taught me the greatest life lessons of all. I had the privilege to meet a wonderful mother, teacher, and founder of an amazing organization who taught me the value of giving back and helping others. You also introduced me to people who taught me to keep my head held high when times got tough, and people who helped me to say “I love you” in a different language. And although a lot of people left my life during 2016, other people stayed along for the roller coaster ride. Whether it was teachers who motivated me to keep going or friends who were there just to have a conversation with, they were there to make 2016 one of the best years of my life. If you are reading this, you know who you are and I just want you to know that because of you, I am the person I am today.
Besides the people, a lot of incredible events happened. The first was me winning a county competition for FBLA and being able to compete in states. The next was actually going to states and competing with the most amazing people and teammates I could ever ask for. They were the ones that not only were there to compete with me, but were also the support and confidence that I needed during my competitions.
Of course, there were little events here and there like prom and graduation but in between those was the biggest event for me: getting into college and starting to plan the next chapter of my life. When you first came along, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. I was waiting for the acceptance into my dream school of Columbia University. But when that didn’t happen, I was crushed and quite frankly didn’t know what my next step was. But that was until the acceptance letter from American University came along and that was when I realized I ended up where I was supposed to be. 2016, you were not only the time where I began the most amazing four years, but you were also a time where I met my family. Never would I have thought I would meet such incredible people, but most importantly feel more comfortable about myself than I have ever felt.
2016, you were full of ups and downs, but you were one of the best years of my life. You introduced me to the best people, taught me the greatest life lessons, but most of all, you showed me how much a person can change in a year. I am sad to see you leave, but I can’t wait to see what chances 2017 brings me.
Sincerely,
A new me
