2016 was quite the year. I can look back and say that nearly every year of my life has been great, but this last has been especially unique. I took some chances. I learned a lot. And it definitely wasn't the year that i expected.

I found some really great friends

I began college a little lost in how to find friends. I was lonely a lot of the time and used my friends from home as a crutch every Friday night as I sat alone, FaceTiming them in my dorm. I am still so appreciative of them and the love that I felt coming from my hometown, but 2016 brought on a new me and a goal to make friends at college. Naturally, I turned to my religious group and those who lived in the same resident hall. And it worked. I started talking to new people, which gave me more chances to get out. I was no longer spending Friday nights alone, but out with the craziest people I had ever met! I gained some new friends that with some luck, I will have for life. We all grew so close and I learned so much about friendship, love, and loyalty.

I took some chances

At the end of 2015, I had a job I didn't care for much. There weren't enough hours and the job was boring. I decided that 2016 would be the year I found a job I loved. And I found it in a very odd occupation. After we got back from the break, I began applying for every job that popped up. One of these was for a mechanic at the bicycle shop on campus. I sort of applied as a joke- I knew nothing about bikes and I had left mine at home because I knew I would rarely ride it. Yet, I got an interview and then was offered the job. I was scared. I had no previous knowledge and the job required that I would have to be there for at least a year. But I took it knowing it could be a great chance to learn a very useful skill. I now love my job. I have found a love of bicycles that I didn't know I had, and I have met some really great people that I would never know otherwise.

I made some big decisions

Everyone says that your major doesn't matter. Just as long as you get a degree, you can get a job that you will like. Companies don't even look at what you majored in, just that you got the degree. But it was still important to me. I walked into 2016 undeclared and with no idea what I wanted to do. I took some time to learn more about me. What kind of environment I want to work in, what I like to do, where I may want to work. It was a really tough decision, and I kind of wanted to do a little bit of everything. After some exploratory classes, and a lot of research, I decided on English: Literary Analysis and a Multimedia development minor. People ask me what I want to do with that (most assume teaching which is something I never want to do), but I’m not 100% sure yet. All I know is that its something that I love, and hopefully will be the start of a career that I love. It wasn't an easy decision and I get a lot of crap for choosing an unrewarding major. But this has given me the opportunity to learn about what I love and stick up for my choice.

I made some great memories

One thing I really learned this year is that there is no substitute for a good story. I went to a lot of dance parties, we took midnight hikes, and spontaneous roadtrips. We went to San Francisco for Spring Break with nearly nothing planned and ended up in Las Vegas the last day. We drove to Bear Lake at midnight and ended up in a cabin with no heat or water. I started the year by driving 3 hours to go to a huge dance party with my friends for New Years two days after I had gotten my wisdom teeth taken out. I spent 13 hours volunteering at a music festival and got to meet Smallpools. And I wouldn't trade these memories for anything. These are the things I did with the people I loved and these are the memories we will talk about in however many years. I learned that sometimes the fun is more important than sleep and you have got to get out and do things in order to be happy!

I learned that sometimes life is hard

This year wasn't all fun and games. I got a letter for jury duty the same day I was declared a resident of Utah. I got my first speeding ticket. I worked two or three jobs at a time and came home so tired that I didn't want to do anything except for lay in my bed. I had to work hard to get the grades that I wanted and got involved at schools so some days i would spend up to 13 hours on campus. I had to be there for friends who had struggles of their own. I had to put myself out there and fail a couple of times. But even though these things stretched me to my limit, they caused me to grow up. I had to suck it up and deal with the decisions I had made and figure out how to be a grown up. It was tough! And even though looking back I’m not super happy that they happened, I’m glad I was able to handle the situations how I did because of the people that were there for me and the resources I was given. I learned more about myself through these events than I ever could have without them. And I am grateful for that.

This year flew by. It was full of some big events and I was able to gain a lot. I learned how to be more independent and make decisions. I learned the importance of friendship. I learned how the smallest choice can have the biggest influence on my life. If I could give any advice from what I learned this year, it would be to take chances while you can, and make memories with the people you love.