Best year ever.

2005 began for me in London, dancing happily with a group of strangers. I remember thinking this is the most incredible night of my life. Being cynical, I wondered whether the rest of the year go downhill from there. That wasn't the case at all. Within the past 12 months, I have had countless amazing and unforgettable experiences – the most eye-opening of which was a trip to the Middle East, the most adventurous of which was two weeks of backpacking through France and Spain. I have lived in London, spent time with amazing people from all over the world, and have been in ten different countries in this year alone.

But travelling to new places and meeting new people doesn't make someone successful or even mean that they were deserving of the opportunity in the first place. Now, at the dawn of 2006 I have returned to Atlanta, ready to begin a new stage of my life. All that remains of 2005 are the memories and knowledge that I have gained. I am now faced with the task of reflecting on the awesome opportunities I have been given and, somehow, to figure out how to make the most of what I have learned.

Before coming to London, I decided that I wanted to take the experiences I have been blessed with and use them to benefit others. As of right now, I haven't figured out how to effectively do that. Yes, I volunteered while I was overseas, but that was only temporal. It seems that, considering the large scale of the experiences I have had, whatever I come up with should have the potential of considerable magnitude.

If there is anything I learned during the past year, it is to dream big. I know that sounds cliché and trite, but it's surprising at how powerful believing in yourself and your abilities can be. My biggest weakness in life has always been a low self-esteem. Whether on the soccer field or applying for colleges, I faithfully played the role of My Own Worst Enemy and continuously sabotaged myself. I can't exactly pinpoint when the change in attitude began, but I finally learned to love myself. Since then, I have continually surprised myself with what I am capable of. Most importantly, I am now excited about my future, instead of fearful.

Saying goodbye to 2005 will be tough. From its exciting beginning, the year held countless surprises for me. For once, it seemed like the good times significantly outweighed the bad. I met many amazing people, most of whom I've had to part ways with, and have had a tantalizing glimpse of the world. I must remind myself not to dwell on the goodbyes, but rather to celebrate the fact that I got to say hello in the first place.

2006, I'm ready.