2016, in Summary

  I'm going to be honest: My therapist told me to make this post. She said I dwell on the negative too much, and it's better that I focus on the great things I've actually accomplished instead of the bad. So, here it goes in no particular order...

1. Got accepted to college. I really had no plan, and the reason I even applied was largely due to my mother intervening. But even so, it's still a good thing. It's given me the opportunity to learn more about art.
2. Mastered the commute from NJ to NYC. This is a big one. I mean, I still don't like it at all. However, I can say that I know how to do it. Even as an Aspergic and depressive teenager who is extremely bothered by any disturbance in routine, I did it. It did not happen overnight, either. I began in late August with my dad who regularly commutes as practice, and just kept doing it. First, I take the E. Then I take the 6, and all I have to do is walk about two blocks, and make a right. It all eventually fell into place.
3. Attempted getting a job. Even if I ended up not getting one, I guess it still counts, right? I made the effort this summer. I called my local grocery store and kind of heckled with them in a few calls, and then they didn't like my hours. Their problem. I also researched online a few places that appeared to be hiring, and made a handy little chart to fill in store info with.
   
   
4. Made it through a semester at college. This was a real struggle all the time. You could only be absent 2-3 days in all the classes. I only missed one class throughout the whole four months. That's pretty impressive, I think. Ugh, I wrote too many goddamned essays. Also--I just checked!! I got a C in my most difficult class which I was convinced I failed. My other classes are As as far as I know(Though maybe one B for this other dumb class. But still). Awesome!
5. Graduated high school. It somehow feels like this didn't happen this year? But it did. And the night I graduated, my father drove my sisters and I to Applebee's and had some of the best food ever: end of the school year food. Then, we came home and I watched Seinfeld for the first time. Okay, I'm getting on a tangent here. The point is, is that it was hard. My so called "school friends" forgot my birthday again. There was lots of stupid friend drama, not to mention loneliness. But I did it--and I still have the diploma with the typo on it to prove it. ;)
6. Did prom night. Admittedly, I didn't ever really want to go. It felt useless to me. But everyone always talks it up, so I sucked it up and went. I wore a dress that my mom forced me to wear, after she saw the "ghetto" and "hideous" dress that I originally picked out. I danced to loud and obnoxious dubstep remixes of top 10 hits on the dance floor. I also requested that they play Fireflies by Owl City, and they never did. I talked to my only one kinda true friend. Afterword, went to the beach with school friends until about 3 am. Not really my cup of tea. But, I did it. It sure is something to glorify and chat about down the road.
7. Finished vocational school. That place was utter hell. Small room. Tons of furniture. Air never flowed through the building correctly. Teachers had no idea what they were doing. I truthfully wanted to back out after just a week there. But, my mother berated me from what I can remember, so I didn't do it. I learned a little bit of Adobe Flash there, at least.

  That's really all I can think of at the moment. There's probably more. It's been a big year for myself. I hope it has been for others, as well. So 2016 may have sucked in a lot of ways, but I really did accomplish a lot! You know, it's vital to remember the good that you do. You can't always drown yourself in sadness, even if that seems like the easier route. Here's to hoping 2017 is even better. We've got this!