Recently, I had the chance to chat with one of my closest friends. After some back and forth conversation, I asked him what he was excited for in 2018. He had a hard time thinking of answers, and when I thought about it for myself, I had trouble too.

I don’t think it was hard because I think 2018 is going to be terrible. I think we both just haven’t given the future much thought. Maybe you have trouble thinking of things to be excited for the next year for whatever reason. So, hopefully this list will spark some things to be looking forward to.

1. Movies! Movies! MOVIES!

I cannot express how excited I am for the movies coming out in 2018. The ones that particularly come to mind are “Black Panther” and “Infinity War” (screams internally). I’ve always been a sucker for well-done super hero movies. (I’m not referring to you DC, get it together. “Wonder Woman” was fantastic so you’re perfectly capable of a good movie, just be consistent for the love of all that is good.) Beyond Marvel’s movies, Incredibles 2 is one that many of us have waited years for. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is coming next year for good measure. There will no doubt be many other moves to look forward to.

2. Music.

We all have our favorite artists. It’s always an impatient wait for those artists to make new songs. Who knows, maybe you’ll even get the change to see an artist in concert. I’m looking forward to seeing Our Last Night perform (if you don’t know them, give them a listen. A bit angsty, but the lyrics are solid.)

3. Traveling.

Odds are, you’re going to places. Whether it be an hour down the road or a month away from home, traveling is something to look forward to. A change in scenery, no matter how small, is something to appreciate. Maybe I’m just biased since I’ll be going to Israel and Jordan with one of the best groups I could ever hope for. #GailGoesInternational

4. Friends.

This includes building relationships with old friends as well as creating relationships with new friends. I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am for all the people I met and grew closer to in 2017. There’s no imagining what 2018 might have in store.

5. More college classes. No, I’m serious. Stop laughing.

Okay, maybe I’m just a nerd who loves to learn. But, we’re in college. We’re in majors that we enjoy learning about things that we actually care about. We should be excited for our classes! As an English major and a member of the Great Books Program at my university, I’ve been absolutely transformed. It’s more than just an intellectual growth — it’s a development of my morality and beliefs, a shaping of who I am to be in today’s society. This should excite anybody.

6. Using what we learned in 2017 to affect what we do in 2018.

College classes and interactions with other people will naturally change how we view the world. It’ll be quite the adventure seeing how 2018 is shaped by what happened to us in 2017.

7. Sports.

Every year is always a new opportunity to enjoy sports. Another year means another Super Bowl, another NBA Finals, another World Series, another World Cup — it goes on and on. Sure, maybe some of you see sports as pointless of mindless. For me, it’s relaxing, a break from reality and just flat out entertaining.

8. TV shows.

2018 is a chance to get hooked on new TV shows or to finally watch the ones that everyone has endlessly talked about. I finally watched “Breaking Bad” in 2017, and that was a series that I wish I had watched sooner. The new year also means your favorite shows are continuing their seasons. I personally look forward to “The Walking Dead,” especially after that heartbreaking midseason finale.

9. Life changing.

I think it’s fair to say that most people don’t like change. We like things staying the way they are. Changes always leaves the door open to being a change we won’t like. But, what’s life if it never changes? I know for me, 2017 was filled with ups and downs, but I wouldn’t want to change any of it. Yes, that’s a major cliche, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Let’s be excited for the New Year.

2018. Bring it on.