2015 was the biggest year for me yet and that’s an understatement.

I got a job, finally moved out of Oklahoma, and made my way to the east coast. I got a big girl job in New York City. It was and is a dream come true for me. However, it was still a bumpy journey with a lot of ups and downs. Transitioning to a new place and lifestyle isn’t easy. I had moments where I cried so hard from feeling homesick and wondered if I had made the right decision taking such a big leap. I missed friends. I missed my parents. I fell deeply in love for the first time and got my heart broken. While it was hard, I eventually bounced back and learned that a broken heart indeed doesn’t kill you… even though at times it felt like it could. I learned that surrounding yourself with family, new friends, and finding time for yourself and exploring new things makes everything a lot better.

It was an eventful year for the world around us— the good, the bad and the ugly. We witnessed numerous tragedies from the attacks in Beirut and Paris, to the attacks in our own country, racial tensions seemed to publicly arise, and a presidential candidate with bad hair and a moral level worst than Voldemort’s is constantly making the headlines. But even with all the bad and the ugly, and despite the fact that a lot of work still needs to be done, there were still instances of greatness that 2015 brought us— The Supreme court finally declared marriage equality for all prompting that no matter what your sexual orientation is, everyone deserves the choice of marrying who they love, water was discovered on Mars, and women in various fields from the entertainment industry to the political facet excelled.

The last couple of months, I’ve heard nothing but people complain about how horrible our world has gotten, and it is true that a lot It could be easy to say the world went to shit, but I have always been an optimist. I’ve always chose to look at the glass half full than half empty. If we didn’t have the the bad stuff in our lives, we wouldn’t recognize the hidden strength we have as human beings. A while ago, I came across a quote, once said by one of my favorite writers, Kurt Vonnegut, and it read, “Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” and I strongly believe in that.

Enough with the “New Year, New Me” mantra. Remember all the good times from 2015 and let 2016 be a year for continued personal growth. Let it be a year where you change the world around you… for the better. Use your voice. Be heard. Vote. If you see an act of injustice, say something. If something in your life is making you unhappy, do something about it. Keep moving forward. Nothing will change if you don’t believe it will.

I’ve never been the kind of person to make New Year’s resolutions. Don’t hold yourself up to an unrealistic pedestal. By all means, make lists and make goals for yourself but don’t use the New Year as an excuse for a deadline. If you fuck up, that’s fine. You’re only human. You have 365 days out of the year to do better. As for me, I’ve made a goal to be better at keeping up with my blog.

Happy New Year, guys and babes. Make it a good one.