Farewell, 2016!

Hello, loves! 

How are you all doing? How were your Christmases? My Christmas was absolutely wonderful- full of family and way too much food and gift exchanges and fun. Christmas is my favorite day of the entire year, and I already miss it! It's been a really great few days, though. I love the days after Christmas. We've been chilling out at home, playing games, relaxing, drawing, and going over to my grandparent's house to stuff ourselves with leftovers. I also met up with a couple of friends, and it was super nice to have a chance to catch up with them. Christmas break is just the best, isn't it? 

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The fact that in a matter of hours it will be 2017 freaks me out to no end. I know that the Internet has kind of blown up lately with posts and tweets about how horrible 2016 was. 

But honestly?

2016 was a good year for me.

That's not to say that it was all sunshine and rainbows. It wasn't, not by far. Some really rough things happened. Circumstances weren't always fun, and I lost people, in several senses of the word. I know the world has been in a rough place as well. People have passed away, things have happened that we may not have wanted to happen. But I don't think that that means that this has been "the worst year of all time". It hasn't been. And frankly, considering the fact that there have been years where the entire world was at war, or we've faced things like 9/11, the fact that people are saying 2016 was the worst? It seems kind of silly. 

Sorry. Rant over.

Anyways, despite the rough moments, 2016 was filled with some really, really great moments. It was filled with new experiences, and deeper relationships, and laughter. I've been really, really happy. So I have to admit, I'm going to miss 2016, I really am. It's been a good one. ♥

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A Year In Review

• I got to see one of my favorite musicals, Newsies
• Going back to ballet, and finally doing pointe!
• Being in my first musical in a few years
• The Waffle vs. Pancake war took place, and it was the most amazing thing ever. I gained the most amazing group of blogger friends through that war, and I could not be more thankful for them and their amazing friendship. 
• Going to Disney
• Dance captaining my first show
• Celebrated two years of blogging
• Finally learning how to wing eyeliner
• Hamilton took over, and I could not be happier about it
• I completed NaNo, writing 51K in the month of November
• I turned SIXTEEN. I feel so old
• Anastasia finally became a musical
• Freckled Minds was formed, and I couldn't be more thankful to be involved
• I learned that I'm dance captaining the high school musical this year!
• I'm helping to assistant choreograph the middle school show and couldn't be more excited
• I redid my room, and I LOVE it
• Started writing snail mail to a few close blog friends- it's so fun!
• This blog hit 100 followers and I almost cried of joy
• Coffee became a part of my life and I am so thankful
• Became the student body VP?!?!? Still can't get over that
• Landed my first ever role in a musical
• Learned how to make the most amazing puffed French toast in the world
• Vaguely learned some coding for blog-related endeavors
• Redid my blog with the help of the lovely Vanessa Best!
• Somehow survived the PSAT and didn't utterly fail it

To be frank, 2017 somewhat scares me. Thinking about it is a bit overwhelming. My best friend is graduating this spring. I'm going to be seventeen this year, and starting my senior year. That honestly scares me to death. I'm not ready for that. 

I'm excited for 2017, though. I really hope that it's a good year. I want to do things this year. I'm going to finish my novel. I have some posts planned and drafted for this blog that are really important to me. There are performances this spring that I am really excited for, and prom is always amazing. I'm excited. I'm excited, because if I don't get excited, then I'll dwell on all of the things about 2017 that are overwhelming. So I'm choosing to be excited. We can't stop this year from coming, so let's embrace it.

We have a choice going into this year. We can let it be mundane. Or we can chase the things that we want. We can get swept up in the busyness and stress of life. Or we can embrace the time that we do have. That is my challenge to you all this year. Live life. Do things. Do the things that you've put off. Stop waiting, and do them. Because guys, we're only young once. To quote the oh so wise Lin Manuel Miranda, don't throw away your shot. 

Hello there, 2017. We're ready for you.