I find it so difficult to believe that it's already December of 2016.

We're in the final month of 2016. With less than 30 days left of this year, I've been taking a bit of time to kind of reflect on how this year has been.

To be honest, this year has been quite a difficult one.

2015 was an absolute blast. I really miss that year. But I'm not going to blabber on about it. It's just tough coming out of an unforgettable year and going into a less than stellar one.

I went into 2016 thinking that it will be just as good if not even better. I wouldn't say that it's been a horrible year, but there have been plenty of moments that I haven't been proud of. College has been difficult (though, I knew this would be the case before it became true and I'm working hard to stay on the Dean's List), I've lost quite a few friends, and there have been moments when I've been sad and lonely (yes, I realize all of that was kind of personal).

However, 2016 has also been a year full of opportunities and I'm very glad that I chose to take many of them on. One of the opportunities I would like to take the time to recognize is the time I've spent with Odyssey, this very platform.

At the beginning of the year, I was looking for another opportunity to write and express my thoughts. I had realized not too long before then what my passion was after a successful first college semester with the school newspaper. In March, I finally got myself to "apply" to write for Odyssey (the reason I quoted the word "apply" is because joining Odyssey is no longer done by applying; it was at the time I joined). I ended up joining the platform on the same day I sent my name and information then, and it marked the beginning of a journey that has been one of the best ones in my life.

Throughout the last nine months, my skills have developed so much. I've sent in an at least one article over the last fourty-ish weeks. As each piece is sent in, I learn more and more about how to become a better writer, how to create appealing content, and how to attract an audience to my work. Two months into my journey, I was given the opportunity to become editor-in-chief for my community, and my skills in leadership and editing have broadened so much as well.

My community has gone through so many changes over the last nine months. In fact, I might be one of the only ones left from the team in March. But that's okay to me because it means I've had the opportunity to meet dozens and dozens of different people. The people I've met and gotten to know are another thing that make this experience the best that it can be. I've even made some close friends through this platform. On top of that, what I explained in the previous paragraph is exactly why I've stuck around for so long.

To everyone who has read my articles (especially those who read them every week), thank you. You are another major reason why I am where I am today. You inspire me to create the best content I possibly can and I promise to always strive to impress you.

I never expected to make it this far with Odyssey. It has been one of the most notable aspects of my 2016. Nine months into my tenure, I intend to expand my experience even further.