We can probably all agree that New Year’s Eve had a different meaning for us when we were little kids than it has now. It was the one night of the year that we were allowed to stay up until midnight and eat a bunch of junk food. It was so thrilling to be able to see the beginning of a new year, even if we were not fully sure what that meant.

Now that we’ve reached the end of yet another year and are getting ready to welcome 2017, we might not be thinking the same things we did when we were little. For one, staying up until midnight doesn’t feel special; it’s a much more commonplace occurrence to stay up until then. There are probably even some people who aren’t too excited to find out what 2017 has to offer. I think it’s pretty safe to say that some of the magic of New Year’s Eve has worn off as we’ve aged.

But even if our celebrations have changed over the years, there are still some things that we can look forward to. It’s still pretty exciting to be able to experience the end of one year and the beginning of a new one, all at the same time. It affords our adult minds a chance to reflect on everything that has happened in the previous year, the good things especially. We also are more aware of the fact that midnight on January 1 marks the start of a new chance; it’s 365 more days that we get to experience the world, live our lives, and make more memories. For at least one night, we get to relax, have fun, and look forward to what lies ahead.