2016.
December 28, 2016 -
2016 was such a memorable year, with so many amazing changes and new experiences. I have never gone through so many changes in such a short amount of time, but I feel grateful for every new experience that I had. I cherished my last few months at home, and then had the amazing opportunity to move to a new city, and start fresh. Here were just a few of my favorite moments from 2016
Starting Off the New Year With a Fresh Layer of Snow – One of my favorite moments of 2016 was so simple, yet something that I will never forget. Growing up in a ski resort, I have always been drawn to the snow. While most people despise the colder months, I thrive on the thought of getting all bundled up in the winter, and watching the snow fall. Unfortunately, as the years have gone on, we seem to get less and less snow, and for me, the excitement of waking up early to spend a day on the slopes had started to fade. 2016 surprised everyone in town, however, and in early January, the snow gods blessed us with a fresh layer of powder. I will always remember the excitement of waking up to a beautiful, fresh layer of snow outisde, grabbing the powder skis (which had been untouched for years) and rushing to the mountain to spend an entire day shredding the slopes with friends and family. This day was so memorable, and was the absolute best way to welcome the new year.
Spring Awakening – In March of 2016, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the musical “Spring Awakening”. Aside from a few school plays, I had never done a whole lot of theatre, so when I originally had decided to be a part of this, I felt completely out of my element. While the content was extremely heavy, and the rehearsals were difficult, this ended up being a highlight of the year. Being a part of such a powerful production was truly amazing, and I was shocked by the emotional response of so many people. I felt that over the course of the 4 or so months that we were working on this production, I learned so much, and felt so lucky to have been welcomed into the theatre community. I could honestly go on forever about how amazing this experience was, and I will always look back on the fond memories that were made during this time.
Studying In New York – One of the most amazing things that I did in 2016, was go to New York for my “Senior Project”. Essentially, this was an independent study that I did instead of a spring trimester. For my Senior Project, I decided to travel to New York, and study the world of film and contemporary art. These are two mediums that have always intrigued me, and it was amazing to be able to study them in one of the biggest metropolitan cities in the world. Aside from learning a lot about the art world, I also learned so much about myself during the time that I was in New York. Being in the city all by myself was actually one of the most difficult things that I have done, and I felt extremely anxious and unsettled at times. With that said, looking back on this experience, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. This entire experience was so surreal to me, and while extremely difficult in the moment, I really learned a lot about myself, and grew as a person.
Backpacking Through Southern Utah – The high school that I went to was very outdoor oriented, and one of the last things that we did as a class, was head down to Southern Utah, and go backpacking. This was an absolutely amazing, and extremely reflective time for me, and it was such a great ending to an amazing high school experience. We were able to set all outside interferences and technology aside, and just enjoy being around each other. I loved spending this time with my class and enjoyed being all together with the people I had grown up with. I will always remember this special time in my life, and look back on all of the fond memories that were made on this trip.
Graduating High School With My Best Friends – Graduation was definitely bittersweet for me, but something that I had to include. I’ve known some of my friends that I gradated with since preschool, and it was absolutely amazing to get together as a class one last time, and celebrate this milestone in our lives. It was really amazing to hear my classmates speak, and reflect on their high school experience, but it was also extremely sad for me to think that this was probably the last time we would all be together as a class. I was and still am so proud of my class, have loved keeping in touch with my friends and seeing how they are thriving on their own.
Girls Trip to LA – During the first week of summer, my mom, my sister and I all headed down to LA for a weekend. It was originally just supposed to be my mom and I coming here for June orientation, however, the dates happened to overlap with my older sister’s birthday, so we decided to make a little vacation out of it. My mom and I headed here right after graduation, and my sister flew in from New York, and we had a fun girls weekend in LA. Not only was it great to get a tiny glimpse of what was in store for me here in LA, but it was also amazing to spend the time with my sister and mom. We rarely have the opportunity anymore to spend so much time together, so it was really lovely to have a little weekend getaway with the two of them.
Family Reunion – During the last few weeks of summer, after most of my friends had already left for school, I had some time to spend with family. Between college and boarding school, most of my siblings have already left the house, so having some time when we are all together has become a rare occasion. For two weeks in August, we all set a time aside, and got togehter as a family. Those who weren’t home at the time came to town, and we spent the last few weeks of summer together as a family. From long days at the lake, to overly competative game nights at home, it felt just like old times. These few weeks that we had together were so special, and I will always cherish the memories that we made.
Starting A Blog – Despite how cheesy this may sound, starting this blog was one of the best things that happened to me this year. I’ve really loved being able to express myself and share my ideas and experiences with whoever may be reading this. This blog has been such a great way for me to reflect and gain insight on events in my own life, and it has become a wonderful creative outlet for me.
Moving to LA – Okay, so this one is pretty much a given, but moving to LA was definitely a highlight of this year. I really feel that I learned so much about myself, and have grown in so many unexpected ways. I was originally so nervous to start school, and move to a completely new city, and while picking up an moving at any point in life is difficult, I have really come to love LA. This place feels like a second home to me now, and I have loved meeting new people, and seeing what this place has to offer. Coming from a small town, I always lived in somewhat of a bubble, so it has been really cool to be a part of this urban culture. It’s been absolutely amazing to getting to know a new place, and meeting so many amazing new people, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me here.
Coming Home to Old Friends and Family – One of the best feelings, is coming home to friends and family, and realizing that despite all of the newness in life, nothing has changed. I was really worried that I would come home from school, and all of my old friends from high school would have moved on to better things and new friends. When I came home for thanksgiving, I immediately realized how wrong I was, and it really felt like no time had passed at all when I saw my friends. We were able to laugh and chat just like before, and it was so fun to hear about all of my friends’ new experiences. Being around old friends and family reminded me of how lucky I am to have grown up in the place that I did, and how much I love the people that I surround myself with. It is so comforting to know that no matter where I end up in life, I will always having the loving support of my friends and family.
2016 was absolutely wonderful, and I look forward to seeing what 2017 has in store. Cheers to a New Year filled with new experiences!
-sb
