Looking back at 2018, it was one of the most life-changing and incredible years of my life. It goes without saying that there were, of course, impossibly bad moments, but I also experienced some of the best times of my life so far. With that being said, I’d like to thank all the people that made my year what it was.
To my parents: thank you for supporting me, always and no matter what. You guys saw me struggle with my mental health far too much this year, but you never gave up or got frustrated with me. You always answered my phone calls and did what you could to calm me down, you helped me find the resources that I needed and you were both so patient and loving the entire time. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you. Thank you.
To my roommate and best friend: after talking about moving in together for the past three years, we finally got an apartment together! Moving into our place together is, of course, one of my highlights of the year and I truly couldn’t be happier. Thank you for always making sure our rent and electricity are paid. I especially thank you for getting me a fish (RIP Snoop), for watching all the “Twilight” movies with me, for being my personal photographer, for listening to me when I’ve had a hard day and for never judging me.
To my HC Oswego girls: I’m not even being dramatic when I say that you guys seriously made my semester amazing. I have enjoyed and loved getting close to each and every one of you. HC Oswego is so close to my heart and I am always so grateful I chose to join this organization. Thank you for being there for me and for always being so understanding when I need a mental health break. You are some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Thank you for making me laugh in our group chats, for never judging me and for making me feel like the best version of myself.
To my friends from home: thank you for letting me smoke your weed and, subsequently not getting mad for all the times I accidentally got too high and had to lay down. All jokes aside, thanks for sending stupid stuff in our group chats and for keeping in touch when we’re all 300+ miles away.
To all the other people that were a part of my year but I don’t want to name specifically in case they somehow end up reading this: thank you — for the good and the bad. I’ve come to realize that 2018 was one of the best years of my life because of all the changes I went through. I’ve grown and matured beyond anything I could’ve expected, so if you had something to do with that, you deserve a thank you. I’m going into 2019 feeling more independent, proud and powerful than ever.
Bonus thank yous go to: Ariana Grande for making “God is a woman” (AKA the song I blast in my car before I have to do any sort of public speaking), my therapist, my dad for helping me get my license this year, my bosses from the internships I had this year, Mac Miller, Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Spotify premium, the rest of my family for being decently cool and, last but not least, all the dogs that allowed me to pet them this year.