"What's a goal you have in life?" is one question often asked in college. I gladly respond with "Achieving happiness."

Cliché, but there isn't anything I'd want more.

So what is happiness? It's different for everyone. Different things, places, items, music, people, and jobs make people happy. Sadly, this can often take what seems like forever to achieve.

Throughout high school, everyone wanted a boyfriend. Everyone wanted to go to every hyped up music concert, home football game, and if you didn't want to go to Disneyland during Halloween, who were you? The pressures of keeping up with everyone and trying to do what everyone else was doing just to see what it was like started to become overwhelming. Of course, not all of those pressures are bad. Some were motivating and inspiring, but we won't focus too much on those.

Come college, the pressures are still there. We're forced to grow up, we leave our parents, have to map out what days we study for certain exams, and if your social life is crazy like most students, you have to know how to balance it all out.

The pressures of cuffing season come around, which additional swim suit to add into your closet for "pool party szn", and who has what is still lingering. Except we're all one step closer to being in the real world, so bigger pressures to know who we are and to be just that person who onto us.

You know what I say? I'll take my time to figure all the material things out, while I focus on myself. After all, that is what matters.

Reflecting on 2016 is hard because I was looking for someone who I could share my happiness, joy, laughter, and travel memories with. I put so much of my time into someone who made me smile, helped me fall more in love with myself each day, thanked me after each sweet thing I said, applauded everything I did, was my strongest support system, and made me laugh harder than I could make myself laugh. It wasn't until I met the most amazing people sophomore year of college during his absence that I realized I was looking for a more confident, happy version of myself.

This got to me. I was so sure I was ready to be in a relationship, but I wasn't.

A friend took me to an event called "Global" in Rawhide, Arizona, and that's when my eyes were opened to the truth.

I didn't know what a mosh pit was, and with my luck, I got stuck in one. My friend's friend ran through the crowd and picked me up with her and yelled at us, "You need to get out of here NOW!"

I looked back as he set us down and watched him jump into the mosh pit.

This sounds strange, but try to understand it for even just a second. Watching someone take us out of danger was something I'd never seen before, at least to that extent. I appreciated it. I also won't forget what it all (the stage, mosh pit, people) looked like. It was crazy, but it was insanely amazing. Truly exhilarating.

I looked back at my friend who I am to travel Europe next summer with, and I knew had I been in a committed relationship I would've never decided to study abroad in another country. Had I never decided to go to Europe next summer, I would've never met my amazing friend who gave me the idea of going to Global. All these beautiful things I wouldn't have done because I would've been too focused on making someone else happy.

I wasn't ready, but the moment I realized that, I was filled with joy because I knew there were so many more beautiful things to see, do, and never forget that will help me grow as a person.

Now, I'm not dismissing relationships. If you find someone who wants to experience life, joy, and your happiness with you, gladly do so. Be with someone who applauds you, laughs with you, and craves seeing more beautiful things, but remember this "someone" doesn't have to be a boyfriend or girlfriend. I found a close friend who does all of that with me. I wouldn't trade that friendship for the world.

Make yourself feel alive before anyone else does. Fall in love with yourself before someone else will. Try making yourself laugh harder than anyone else has. Count on yourself, applaud yourself, and don't think for a second that the pressures of forwarding your life are what will stop you from achieving any of that.

So I'll take my time. I'll breathe a little.