This year was a roller coaster to say the least. It went by fast, it had ups and downs, and was just overwhelming. But even though the ride was bumpy, it was fun.

Every year, people say that it was the most awful year ever, or that they're going to make the next year better, just to repeat themselves the following year. No matter what, there are going to be hard times over the course of 365 days. That's a lot of days and it is nearly impossible to make all of them good. Whether you lost a loved one, struggled with work or school, had financial problems, or found out some other sort of bad news, everything happens for a reason.

2018 was a wild year, but I appreciate everything it brought me and all the lessons it taught. I've learned what I want in another person. I know how to get myself out of unhealthy relationships. I know how to move on. And I've learned to love myself before committing to someone again. I've grown in self-confidence, learned from mistakes, and accomplished goals.

At the beginning of the year, I was in a happy relationship with someone that I really cared about. We were talking for months and made it official on Christmas of 2017. We celebrated New Years at his friend's house and had a good time. At the time, I really thought we were going to have more celebrations together. Never did I think that one year later we would be apart. Things changed so much for me. I lost someone I cared about due to us being far too toxic for each other. And even though it did suck, I have grown so much from it.

During the summer, I met some of my best friends at my internship. Before the season, I didn't expect to meet such amazing people. I didn't expect to laugh so much. They're the type of friendships that you just know will last forever. I met two of my best friends. We know far too much about each other, but it's nice to know I have people in my life that I can be honest with and trust.

I went to Hawaii and realized how much I want to travel back, if not, live there one day. I learned to just be happy with how things are. I enjoyed the experience so much, I got a tattoo of the Hawaiian word " Hau'oli," which means happy, as a reminder of the experience and to always stay happy, or at least try to be happy.

I met someone shortly after my messy breakup who made me feel happy all the time. We knew each other beforehand but got close later. He constantly made me laugh, listened to all my stories, secrets, and rants. We never fought. We just enjoyed each other's company a lot. We watched games together, drank together, had late night Chinese food dates, shared music, and talked about everything and anything. But, like all good things, it came to an end. He had to move thousands of miles away and neither of us were ready to say goodbye, but little by little, we got through it. He was the reason for a lot of my confidence that I now have., for many reasons.

My little sister graduated this year. She went to college and got on the Deans List. She joined an equestrian team and made new friends and got to experience what being an adult is like. It was nice (as always) seeing her succeed after working so hard.

I learned to take each day as it is. If it's good, bad, fun, exciting, or stressful. Life is life. But we're lucky to live it. Everything happens for a reason. Try not to sweat the small stuff, but when you do, take a deep breath and realize it's only a small part of your life. Not all bad things last forever. You will grow each and every year.

I've never been so excited for a new year and to start bettering myself in more ways. I'm ready to continue focusing on my heath, both metal and physical. I'm excited to see if a relationship comes along and to see how it will help me grow. I'm excited to finish college and start my new position at my internship. I'm excited to meet new people and make more memories with my best friends. I'm excited to come back to this in a year and see how much has changed.

If this wasn't your year, I'm sorry. I hope things get better and that 2019 is the complete opposite. If you had a good year, I hope this new year gets even better.

Instead of saying "new year, new me," I'm going to continue being who I am and learn on the way. I don't want to change completely. I like who I am, but I just want to become an even better, happier version of myself. Stay positive.