Goodbye 2016. You took some of our most beloved figures, you showed us that truly anyone can be President, and you’ve showed us that WikiLeaks is more powerful than we could have ever thought. However, you weren’t all bad. You made the world stop and watch as Simone Biles blew away the competition in the Olympics. Harriet Tubman will soon be on the $20, and The Cubs won the World Series. Not to mention Lebron bringing an NBA Championship to his hometown.

Personally, 2016 taught me a lot of things. One being that people who you thought were your best friends will leave, and those who you never have gotten a long with, just might surprise you. It showed me the fluidity of being a college student. To start 2016, I was working in my dream job in radio and a student at Georgia Southern University. I was stressed to the max. To stressed. I came home, which was something I never considered. I have a wonderful job, and am continuing my education at Dalton State.

With that being said, none of us know what will happen in 2017. Chances are we will all lose more beloved childhood heroes, and know someone who will lose a friend or family member to sickness, or maybe someone’s life will change drastically. Like mine did in 2016. There will be good things to come in 2017. Who knows what they could be? Maybe this next year you will have found the love of your life, or gotten the job that you worked so hard and spent so much money taking classes to get.

If you don’t do anything else in 2017, make sure you appreciate the little things. When an old friend asks to get a drink, go. As you drive to your bland job, remember the goals that you have set forth, that require the funds from that bland job. Don’t be afraid to adventure out of your comfort zone in whatever situation you find yourself, don’t be stupid, but do adventure. In 2017, I invite everyone to do something every day, big or little, to make the world a better place. If we can appreciate the little things, all do a little more adventuring, and take a few steps in bettering our world, maybe this time next year, I will get to write an article about how great 2017 was.

May your New Year’s resolutions come true, and lets all clink our Champagne glass together as we welcome 2017 in.