My friend Lina told me that in the beginning of each year, she reviews each month of her previous year in a single sentence. Over the weekend, we went on a hike and did just that with each other. Now that I have my 2016 planner in hand, I am inspired to write up my year in review. So without further ado, here is 2016 in 12 sentences –

January 2016: Rang in the New Year with some of my closest friends in Hong Kong.

February 2016: Stared my late 20s in the face with a hike to Devil’s Chair.

March 2016: Met up with a friend from our travels in Vietnam and once again, the world proved to me that long distance friendships do indeed work out.

April 2016: Traveled to Ensenada to eat enough seafood to last a lifetime.

May 2016: Hiked Murphy’s Ranch with one of my closest friends to explore a forgotten (and horrific) part of LA history.

June 2016: Hiked the Narrows and marveled at nature’s wonder with two of my close work friends.

July 2016: Was selected for jury duty and was horrified by what I learned about the justice system and human nature.

August 2016: Met my first intake of students and started feeling like an advisor.

September 2016: Attended the first university conference for my current position for career development.

October 2016: Visited Seattle with two of my close high school friends and ate our way through the city.

November 2016: Completed my first half marathon and swore off running (yet promptly signed up for a marathon a month later).

December 2016: Saw the Northern Lights in Sweden with an old friend and laughed with glee at the dancing spirits.

2016 was a challenging year, but I hope to bring the lessons learned into 2017 for positive growth within myself and into the world. Bring it on, 2017!