I've had awesome opportunities and experiences this year. I had the opportunity to cross some amazing things off of my bucketlist in 2016, and I'm so grateful and thankful for those moments in the past year.

Now, with 2017 right around the corner, here are 9 things that are on my bucketlist for the new year.

1. Go abroad to either Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom.

Whether it be studying abroad next fall or going on vacation, I really want to use my passport this year and get my first stamp in it. I'd love to study abroad in either London or on the Gold Coast of Australia. Another thing that I really want to do this summer is take a road trip with either my family or some of my friends and go up to Canada for maybe a week or so, especially since I've never been out of the country. I really want to experience what life is like in another country and how the cultures differ, especially in these three different areas of the world.

2. Go on a road trip to Oklahoma City in June.

A huge thing that's been on my bucketlist for years and years involves going to Oklahoma City in early June to watch the NCAA Division 1 Softball Women's College World Series. I've always wanted to go to OKC, watch the Women's College World Series, and be in the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium to watch some of the best softball players in college softball compete for a National Championship. Plus, I've never driven through some of the states that we'd have to go through- depending on the route that we would take, we could go through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, or Arkansas. I've never been in those states, and even though the drive is roughly 20 hours, I feel like both the drive and the experience in OKC would be one that I'd never forget.

3. Go to the West Coast of the United States, specifically California.

I have a friend who lives out in Los Angeles, and I know quite a few people who've been to California. I've never been there, and I want to explore the state. I want to see San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and some of the more famous beach towns and cities. My mother was born in California, and I want to see the town that she was born in. I want to see how Los Angeles compares with New York City, and I want to go to some of the theme parks and places in California, like Disneyland and Universal Hollywood. I've been to Disney World and Universal Orlando, but I've never been to the other parks in California. Going to California has been a dream of mine; I think that it may be attainable this year if the circumstances are right.

4. See a taping of either the Late Show with Stephen Colbert or the Late Late Show with James Corden.

I've already had the amazing experience of seeing tapings of two incredible late night television shows. In 2015, I was in the audience of a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers, and in 2016, I was lucky enough to get tickets to a taping of the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. Seeing Meyers and Fallon are two huge things that have been crossed off of my bucketlist, and this year I want to see either Stephen Colbert or James Corden. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tapes in New York City, and I'm on the waitlist for tickets for January before I go back up to college for the spring semester. The Late Late Show with James Corden, however, tapes in Los Angeles. Going to see James Corden's show would be a part of my California trip that I mentioned above. Even if I don't get to see both of them, just seeing Colbert would be an amazing opportunity. I want to try and see tapings for as many late night television shows as I can, and getting to see either Colbert or Corden would be an amazing experience.

5. Hike part of the Appalachian Trail or kayak on the Delaware River.

Living in New Jersey has seemed boring for so many years, but I've come to realize that there's so much around us. I've always wanted to hike part of the Appalachian Mountains, especially because of the beautiful scenery. Another thing that kind of goes hand-in-hand with this is kayaking on the Delaware River.I've only been kayaking a few times, but it was in a lake. It would be pretty cool to kayak in the Delaware because I'd be able to see both New Jersey and Pennsylvania while doing it.

For this coming year, my bucketlist is pretty big. I know that some of these things will be hard to do, but I'd sure like to try. I want to have fun this year and enjoy myself while working hard in school, and setting goals like these to enjoy if I can make them happen would be the perfect way to unwind and relax when I need to.

I think that instead of making New Year's resolutions, a bucketlist is a better way to set goals that you're passionate about and that you'll have a motivation to fulfill. Bucketlists have a more positive connotation to them, and people look forward to their bucketlists. Whether you make a bucketist or a list of resolutions, I hope that you stay true to them and achieve whatever your goals for the new year may be!