Most people can agree that 2017 was an eye-opening year. I agree with that statement completely. I found out that a couple of people I thought I knew best I actually didn’t know at all. These people fell out of my life so easily, and to be honest, I wasn’t prepared for it. I wasn’t ready to let go of the friendships that I held so close to my heart... But I had to. Sometimes you’ve got to allow things to leave because whatever is yours will be yours effortlessly. These people showed me their true colors, and that’s okay. I needed that. You showed me you.

On the other hand, 2017 brought me so many amazing people and made the friendships I already had stronger. My best friend and I found ourselves in a completely new group after we graduated high school. Summer ‘17 holds the best memories, and whenever I’m taken by one of those specific memories, I have to stop everything and just take it in. I then started my first fall semester and met some of the craziest people that I now call my family.

And that being said, I’m taking these people into 2018 with me, and I cannot wait. These people are the ones that love me regardless of my smart mouth, my obnoxious laugh, my crazy (sometimes bad) ideas, and everything else in between. They uplift me when I’m happy and hold my hand whenever I’m sad. They laugh at me, and they laugh with me. They motivate me to be better and to never settle for less. My friends from 2017, this is a shout out to you.

Sometimes I think of myself as a person and wonder how I have any friends. I can really be hard to handle sometimes. I’m glad they put up with me because if we’re being completely honest, I would be lost without them. Whenever I count my blessings, I count them twice.

When I first moved, I felt so lost. I remember calling my dad so upset because I didn’t have anybody. I didn’t have my friends from home, and I was so worried about how I would ever make it. However, my friends from home have done a wonderful job keeping up with me regardless of distance, and I have some of the best friends ever from school.

My friends: thank you for loving me for me. Thank you for always making sure I’m good. Thank you for always checking the little things, like if I’ve eaten, how I slept, how I’m feeling, etc. 2017 would’ve been unbearable without you. I hope you never doubt how much I love and care about you guys. I cannot wait to see what 2018 holds for us and all the memories that are waiting to be made. I undeniably have the best people in my life. My family is pretty cool too, but they’re stuck with me whether they want to be or not.