At the end of 2016, who hasn't heard of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the 36-year-old rap and musical theatre genius? Even if you haven't heard of him personally, you've surely heard of his current megahit about treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton: An American Musical. It's this year's hot ticket and has played host to celebrities and political leaders alike. Miranda's newest project took six years to write, and was started while he was on vacation from his first Tony Award-winning musical, In the Heights, the story of three days in the life of a struggling barrio in Washington Heights. Miranda recently wrote music for the Disney film Moana and will be seen soon in the Mary Poppins sequel.

In short, the man is non-stop. (Too cliché?)

I fell in love with Hamilton a little over a year ago, while the show was still in previews. I had never heard of Miranda, Heights, or Alexander Hamilton (aside from the fact that he died in a duel). But I fell in love with the way he made all of the characters from my textbook come to life in an incredibly raw and human way. Miranda showed these characters as relatable, saying that despite their flaws, they were incredibly successful and influential people. If they could do that, why can't you? Hamilton is a timeless story of love, loss, perseverance, forgiveness, legacies, and the importance of a good rap battle. (For my whole love letter to Hamilton, click here.)

"I may not live to see our glory, but I will gladly join the fight. And when our children tell our story, they'll tell the story of tonight."

As I fell more in love with Hamilton, I started to delve more into Miranda's life and previous works. Miranda is a first-generation American citizen to Puerto Rican parents. He went to a private school where he had to constantly prove that he was good enough to be there. Miranda said that when he found his niche - theatre - he "picked a lane" and ran with it, acting in every school play, and eventually going to Wesleyan College to study theatre.

If any experience in my life could live up to when I discovered Hamilton, it would be when I found In the Heights. Heights focuses on the lives of immigrants and their children living and working in a barrio in Washington Heights, New York. The main theme in the show is home: never forget where you came from, but don't be afraid to start fresh somewhere else. This show has been very important to me in the last few months as I work through my postgrad education and career plans.

"You hear that music in the air? Take the train to the top of the world, and I’m there. I’m home!"

I'm a white, middle-class woman, so I can't relate to most of what Miranda writes about being a lower-class minority, but I can relate to the struggles of being looked down on for being different. I've always been different from the people around me, and my life has been a constant state of being on the outside looking in. Miranda showed me that it's okay to be different, it's okay to not quite fit in, because someday your differences will be what makes you successful in life. Successful in a career, yes, but mostly successful in life, in what really counts. In finding a tribe of people like you, that appreciate what you have to offer.

I had the privilege of seeing Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers with the original Broadway cast back in March of 2016. The show exceeded all of my expectations, but no one more than Lin-Manuel himself. You can listen to the cast recording for years and not know the passion he brought to that role. This show is his baby, and it showed in how he portrayed the titular character. He could say three words and you could hear a whole range of emotion in those three words. I'm sure Javier Muñoz is doing an absolutely fantastic job as Alexander Hamilton, but no one can ever compare to Miranda himself. (I also almost hyperventilated saying "I AM BREATHING THE SAME AIR AS LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA I AM IN THE SAME ROOM AS LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA" but we don't need to talk about that...)

So thank you, Mr. Miranda, for not only writing shows that speak to human nature and human flaws, but for living your life in such a way that I am no longer scared to live mine how I see fit. Thank you for bringing a little brightness to the world in spite of your own struggles with fitting in and being beat down by people that didn't understand you. You are a constant reminder that everybody has their place in the world, even us misfits. Home may not always be where you're from, but it's always where your heart is.

"Nina, everything is easier when you’re home! The street’s a little kinder when you’re home. Can’t you see that the day seems clearer now that you are here or is it me? Maybe it’s just me…"

Thank you for writing characters like Nina, the perfectionist who has to deal with the harsh reality that not everything comes easy. And Angelica, the outspoken woman in a world that can't accept her. And Usnavi, the immigrant who feels the draw of his Caribbean roots and love for the American community in which he's grown up. And Alexander Hamilton, who is flawed and human and capable of incredible things, as so many are. And Vanessa and Eliza and Benny and everybody else who you've created that have inspired countless people, myself included.

"Let me tell you what I wish I’d known when I was young and dreamed of glory: You have no control. Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?"

Thank you for being unapologetically yourself no matter what. You always stand up for what you believe in and do what you think is right, even when everybody is against you. Thank you for not giving into the bullies and giving up music and books and your own loves, because you have inspired a generation to pick up their loves and protect them.

And on a more personal note, thank you for Hamilton, because it is what brought my family together. It has inspired get-togethers and photoshoots with my family, making us a family of six (and now seven with the addition of a three-week-old) again. Hamilton gave us something in common - combining history and musical theatre - over which we could bond, bridging age gaps and years of lost time.

Thank you for giving me my family.

Thank you for changing my life.

"Raise a glass."