With the quickly approaching 2016, it's time to start thinking about what you hope to experience and accomplish this year. After all, this is going to be the best year ever (and not just because you say that every year)!
Make a New Year's resolution.
If you haven't been doing this already, it's time to start making some goals for yourself! Whether it be to achieve a healthier body image, move up in your career, or trying something new everyday, coming out better than you were before is what 2016 is all about.
Watch the ball drop.
This is another New Year's tradition for most people, and if you're lucky to experience this in person, go for it! Luckily for us Chicagoans, we have adopted an idea of having a giant star ascend up one of our tallest buildings, signifying the Great Chicago Fire and the city’s “phoenix-like rise in its aftermath”. After a long, hard, yet amazing year, it is such a relief to countdown with friends and family until you have a clean slate to begin again, hopefully with more wisdom than before.
Kiss a stranger.
Kissing is a universal sign of affection typically associated with being overjoyed and excited--what a perfect action for New Year's! Although terrifying for most, when is another moment you can kiss a complete stranger (or crush) without any judgement?
Go outside!
Many neighbors put on awesome fireworks displays right after the countdown, which are always cool no matter how old you get. Something that my friends and I have always done is bring pots and spoons out on the street, and just start screaming and banging them, trying making as much noise as possible. If you feel that you want to be more rebellious and "free" in 2016, I know (way more than I would think and hope) of people who completely bare all and go streaking down their street! Just be careful with that one, it is against the law and it is the middle of the Winter.
Make a bucket list.
Similar to creating a resolution for yourself, you can (and should!) create a list of goals for yourself to achieve over the next 365 days. This list can be made up of anything your heart desires--as long as you complete your (realistic) list by the beginning of 2017!
With this list, you can really start the new year off right and begin making some of the best memories of your life; cheers to the new years!