With the coming of every year new, everyone has a tendency to reflect on the experiences of the year they've had. Some will say it was the best year of their life, some will say it was the worst, and others are indifferent. Obviously, the opinions vary from person to person and even from year to year. However, unlike the popular opinion amongst several of my peers, I can honestly say that 2018 has been one of, if not, the best year of my life.

Truthfully, I went into 2018 with an open mind. There were certain things I wanted to improve in my life, move forward with, and achieve, but really, I was open to anything. Besides getting into better shape (which I did, yay!), I didn't really have one concrete goal and that kinda let me just embrace this year on cruise control which forced me to trust the universe and what it had in store for me. Ultimately, this kind of mindset is what made this year so special for me.

First, I was blessed enough to meet some really incredible people this year. As my first year of college ended, and several of my friendships solidified and grew, I began to grow individually as well. The friendships I have made with the people who attend my university are some of the best friendships I have ever had. The relationships I have formed with these peers has enrichened my life in a variety of ways, all of which I am thankful for. At the same time, my friends from home and I have continued to maintain incredibly strong friendships all the while we continue to grow in different areas of life.

Another great aspect of this year was all the traveling I did. This year, I traveled to several different states with friends, family, and even my boyfriend. Especially in the summer, these vacations were a great opportunity for release, serenity, and excitement. Additionally, I attended several different concerts, events, and Meeting new people and having bizarre stories to tell come with the territory of traveling, and even these have contributed greatly to the overall quality of my year.

A huge aspect of my life this year was meeting my boyfriend. January will mark our 6 month anniversary and I could not be more thankful for all the time I have spent with him. He came at the most perfect time in my life and has inspired me to become a better person with every day that passes. The relationship I have with him is the arguably the healthiest, happiest and most connected one I have ever had with a significant other, making for one of the biggest blessings of this year. Without him, the back half of this year would not have been as memorable as it was.

Even though I did a million awesome different things this year, without a doubt, the most impactful part of this year were the lessons I learned. As I get older, I have come to realize that I do a lot more self-reflection than I used to, and this year was no exception. There were a lot of ups and downs this year and many of them will stick with me for the rest of my life. However, I eventually decided that I could either learn from them or let them define me.

I had to come to terms with a lot of uncomfortable truths about who I am, my past, and who I want to be. It's not easy being a young adult and there's a lot of confusion about who you are. That's what your early 20's are all about - so they say. But sometimes it really feels like all your problems are the end of the world and there is no hope. But at the same time, we all feel that way. The difference is how you deal with it.

Between the awesome adventures, meeting new people, and life lessons I learned I can truthfully say this year was undoubtedly one to remember. I'm not too sure why everyone else seems to hate it but I have to hand it over to this year as being one of the best of my short life. Thank you 2018, it's been kickass.