For me though, I don't think it was that bad. So, here's my 2016 in review.
~
January:
I know that a lot of people hated 2016 from the start, but I don't think that I did. New Years was alright, I went to dinner with Patrick early that month, and he and I were in the beginnings of a relationship again. I had newly received a promise ring, and was really happy.
The end of January was extremely difficult through me, as I went though some issues with discovering who I really am and to what extent I am willing to go for my beliefs, and to what extent I go to defending my friends and those I love. It hurt. For the first time in years, I had to turn my back on people to better myself in the long run. Has that proven true? Absolutely. Although, it still isn't always that easy to this day. Friendships aren't something that you get over very fast at all.
February:
Ahhh, the month where I like- changed. I literally hardcore changed so much that I believed in as a person.
I went from being this person who frequented church and openly fought against things like gay marriage to a Pro-Choice, Bernie Sanders supporting, LGBTQ+ supporting piece of literal garbage. I decided that I was going to fight for every kind of person, and not just the elites or the exclusive.
Did this mean losing more people? Yep. A lot more, actually. That was alright. By that point, I was pretty used to it.
People also decided to compare me to my mom a lot... That was a mistake. What a lot of people don't realize is that my mother has raised me to be a freethinking person who fights for stuff. We do not agree on everything, but she's my best friend. She will fight for and stand up for me before she ever defends any of the people coming against me saying that she would be ashamed.
I also promised to start blogging regularly. Oops.
March:
Why does March always feel like an irrelevant month to everyone? It doesn't even feel real to me, like, eighty percent of the time.
BUT- one of my best friends did find out that she was going to be blessed with a little boy! I found out that I was going to be an auntie to a little boy! I also assisted a friend of mine baking a cake for the gender reveal... Holy crap. Let me just say that I hate fondant, and leave it at that. :)
I also met this wonderful lady named Brenda. She's pretty awesome.
April:
In April, I experienced everything High School Musical and got to get caught up in the fuss and drama that goes into producing a show. It was... sometimes really awful, and sometimes extraordinary. I made friends (Larry, Jada, Andrea, Madison, Anias, John, Amy, Jasmine, etc.) that will last me a lifetime, no matter if we speak regularly or not.
I learned that people looked up to me, and I finally began to embrace that I was born with some strong leadership skills. Mind you, a lot of them still require some nurturing even at this point. I can be a, well, a bit much sometimes. I just started learning how to control the drama, and channeled all of the mental build up into more productive methods.
April also proved to be a month that required a lot of mental preparation for May...
May:
In May, we performed High School Musical so many times and it was insane and I loved [almost] every moment of it.
In May, I graduated from high school and left behind some friends that still have the journey of high school to complete. I was blessed to experience all of them, all of their personalities, all of the loud, all of the music, and just a lot of love. My final month of high school was as good as you see it in the movies.
I wore heels to graduation, which was stupid. Like, incredibly stupid. I graduated Cum Laude, and with college credits. I had 3 or 4 college acceptance letters in a folder in my bedroom, and I was excited about the future. About adulthood.
May was easily my favorite month of 2016.
I got to have a sleepover with my dear friend Molly. You guys haven't gotten to hear much about her, only because she is far away and it had been too long since I'd seen her. She and Kaitlyn run in the same circles. They are definitely sisters that God decided not to give me in blood. They helped me survive much of 2016.
I got to go to prom with my freshman friend Larry. We tore it up on the dance floor. (I'm completely kidding.. We danced so bad. Like, I am a 40 year old white dad in a floral shirt when I'm dancing.) A bunch of us went to IHOP afterwards. It was memorable.
I also got to go to North Carolina to see my babe. We went to prom together, and it was wonderful. I summed up that experience in a blog post, if you feel like going through to read it. Patrick and I had a blast. He was SO handsome, and it was just a wonderful time. I also got to spend time with my friend Jordan. It was just a surreal thing- I had not seen many of these people for four (or more) years.
June:
In June, we found out that my dad needed drastic surgery. I got a job as a camp counselor and got the opportunity to work with some astounding littles, and got to meet some pretty awesome ladies that ended up being pretty freaking amazing coworkers.
I lost more friends when I took to the web to advocate for the safety of my LGBTQ+ friends after the shooting in Florida, as well as vocalizing for the Black Lives Matter movement. I do not support irrational violence or destruction, but I do support the Constitution and the right to protest that many people did not know existed until over the summer.
I got a really bad sunburn, and saw Patrick at the gas station Wendy's that he works at. It was a good time. Long distance relationships are cute, sometimes.
I went through a period of time where contacting him proved to be a struggle, but if you know me, you know that it was less of a struggle than some other people would have anticipated.
July:
July sucked.
I missed two weeks of work, and went to North Carolina with my parents.
My dad had triple bypass surgery, with a couple of mild complications, and I learned a lot about hospitals.
My mom and I got really close, as we stayed in a couple of hotels throughout the duration of this experience. We made friends in odd places that have turned out to be extraordinary people. (To name a few- the ladies in the waiting room that always had time to talk, as well as Tina and her family.)
I got food poisoning so many times.
Patrick went on a cruise, but that's a story for some other time.
I was blessed with a teeny tiny nephew named Wesley. He is a brown eyed sweetheart, and I am over the moon for that little one. He has his Aunt T wrapped around his itty-bitty little finger. I also had the privilege while he was still in the womb to get close to his mom. Hayley is one of my closest friends, and I trust her with everything.
August:
I turned 18. I completed my seasonal job, with some tearful goodbyes. I loved my camp kiddos so much!
I started at Concord University, and there I met Alicia and Amanda- just to name a couple. I took an English class that rocked. I took a Political Science class that opened my eyes to many things. I got to eat lunch with Emily again, and found out that I'm going to be an auntie again.
August ended up being a breeze after July. I missed my grandparents a lot over the summer, though.
September:
College. Literally, just college and job searching so much.
I went to bed regularly between 3am and 5am, and woke up at 11am to go to my classes.
I had a job interview or two, and eventually got hired at this place in Beckley sometime in September or November... I had no idea what I was going to be in for there.
October:
Loud feminism. More college. Lots of tests. A painting that literally drove me up a wall trying to complete that is now one of my prized possessions.
Fright Nights started and I got to see all of my friends on that end of the spectrum. Sometimes it was cold, it was always somewhat muddy- but scaring people is something I love to do. If you've never been to/worked Fright Nights WV then I highly suggest it. It's so much fun. You meet people, and you pick up skills that you will never imagine come in handy anywhere else. But- they do!
I also attended a lot of football games, as my little brother was 1st String Fullback, and my friend Madison was dating a football player. I hung out with high schoolers on Friday nights because that's something I didn't particularly enjoy doing when I was in high school myself.
November:
Patrick and I made plans for New Years!
Thanksgiving happened, and ended up being amazing.
I started a job at a call center, and holy crap. I have met some interesting groups of people, I have learned that sometimes you can be 100% accurate and a customer will still want to speak to a supervisor, and I met friends that I consider family now.
I was just feeling super blessed in November!
December:
We decorated a lot for Christmas. We had a tree in almost every room of our house, and various Christmas paraphernalia everywhere. I took my final exams (and passed all of them! and made the Dean's List!), and worked nonstop for the entire month.
Mom started working at the same place that I do. It's absolutely life-changing to work with my mom and several friends. It doesn't feel like working, to be honest.
I started a new blog series called "#adulting" that is going to be continued, but I have some people writing some posts for me. I want a bunch of perspectives, seeing as I'm new to the whole adulthood thing.
Christmas was really good, and I got people stuff that I hope has been meaningful. With a job, it feels nice to be able to spoil the people that I love with all of my heart.
~
So, I know that it's been 2017 for over a week, but I still wanted to share this.
Patrick came in for New Years. He is a gem. I love him so much. He took me to a movie, for yogurt, and to dinner. We swapped passwords for movie streaming sights and he has me watching anime obsessively now. Pat is just an awesome person, and getting to spend time with him in person and not just on FaceTime is really cool. By the way- he took a train to see me. How cool is that?! (Cue "Don't Stop Believin' in the background...)
We got a snowstorm up in West Virginia, and I start working out of training at my job this week. I might try to work some overtime, because I am on top of my money now. I start back to college tomorrow, weather permitting, and I'm pretty excited. If you'll look... My schedule is pretty well booked for the next 4-5 months, and I am so ready to conquer it!
Have a Happy and Blessed 2017, everyone!
I love you guys! This is my third year of blogging, and I can't wait to see what it brings! :)
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