As 2016 comes to a close, I can honestly say I have grown more in the last year than I usually do. Many things have changed, not just in our world, but in my ways of thinking. This is a list of things that I can say I learned this year, and hopefully others can agree.

1. Elections are stressful.

Like many millennials, this was the first election I was able to vote in, and I can honestly say that I had no idea how competitive and stressful they can be. It got to a point that if asked who I voted for, I just tell people what I think they want to hear because most people judge me if they don’t think I agree with them. Honestly, I’m over it. I don’t think that politics should ruin friendships, and until this year, I had no idea that it could come to this.

2. Celebrities are not immortal.

Obviously, I already knew this one, but 2016 really put this one into perspective. From David Bowie, to Prince, and finally Carrie Fisher, and many more in between, so many celebrities have left us this year, leaving us thinking “Who’s next?” We’re faced with the fact that someday, not necessarily as far off as we may have thought, the people we looked up to as children won’t be there anymore.

3. Travelling is addicting.

Throughout the year, I went to Virginia, Iowa, Washington state, Illinois and a few different towns in Florida. I have trips to New York and Wisconsin planned in January as well. I’ve wanted to explore places outside of my home town(s) for as long as I can remember, and now that I can do it, I find myself going out of state every chance I get. I hope to be able to go out of the country at some point. Hopefully, I can convince my parents that Europe would be a good graduation present.

4.The mail system is frustrating.

While most of the time, everything works exactly as expected, it has become more and more common that packages disappear, seemingly lost, only to show up after they’ve been given up on. More than once this year, members of my family have ordered something on Amazon, and when it didn’t show up, they ordered a new one. Right after ordering it for a second time, the first one came. I have been worrying that gifts for some of my friends dropped off the face of the earth, and can’t decide how long to wait before resending them.

5. When you’re in the right major, it isn’t too hard.

Before I changed majors, I was struggling to simply pass all of my classes. I would completely panic on a regular basis over what I would do if I couldn’t get through college. At the end of sophomore year, I finally gave in and changed my major.This past semester was the first time I was taking classes that didn’t stress me out. In fact, I didn’t dread going to my classes for the first time in years. I attribute the change to being in a field of study that I think I will do well in, and that I truly enjoy.

With all of this in mind, 2017 will be a welcome change, hopefully for the better. With all of these new lessons under our belts, we can change the world for the better, making positivity be the new fad.