Many upon many people would like to forget that 2016 even happened, if they could help it. From a staggering amount of celebrity deaths to constant international crises to a grueling and prolonged presidential election, people are ending the year on a pretty sour note and trying to salvage what dark humor they can.

For me it was a year of transitions and growth.

I started out the year living in London, England and having a wonderful time experiencing a very small bit of Europe. In March I returned to the states and my normal life, and procrastinated taking the next step: buying a house and “settling down.” Eventually (i.e. a few months later) I finally called up a realtor to get things started, and that same week I got contacted by a recruiter at Google asking me if I wanted to interview for a job. After a few crazy weeks I had given notice to my first real job and was making plans to move to Seattle, Washington.

This was my first true and complete move. I wasn’t going off to school, and my parents weren’t helping me pack or storing anything at their house. In fact, my parents were weeks away from moving themselves, leaving for two years on a mission to Tonga. I was leaving for a new state, a new job, a new house. I had experience navigating a new area, thanks to all my European shenanigans, and it wasn’t my first job or apartment. But it was different from all my previous moves, because it truly severed all ties to my past life. It was a wholly new experience.

Moving to a new area has a few immediate challenges and opportunities. Because I know no one, I have a clean slate when it comes to making friends. This is a blessing and a curse. I’m really bad at making new friends, then once I meet a small group of people, I stop trying to expand and grow my circle. I quickly established myself in the ward and have a few regular friends there. At work I’m building up a comfortable rapport with the team, but no one has gravitated to me as a friend. And, of course, I do nothing social outside of these, so that’s the extent of my friendship opportunities at the moment.

Google has a pretty clear bias toward Android, and so I decided to try switching over from iOS to give it a real honest shot as my main mobile OS. So at the end of October my new phone arrived and I transferred my life over. I’ve been surprised at how much I like it. I found iOS very elegant, simple, and powerful. But for some reason I don’t understand, I’ve simply been giddy about this Android phone. I can’t say that the system is better, I just really like it. I still have an iPad and Mac desktop (no way am I going back to Windows), but Android has sunk it’s hook into me and I think I like it.

And call it a coincidence if you want, but the exact same day that I got the new phone is also the first day of the longest streak of “sobriety” I’ve had since early 2014. Sixty-five days and counting. And this time I’m doing it better. I’m forming good habits of regular scripture study and prayer. I’m attending the temple. I’m honest with my parents and the bishop about what’s happening and how I feel. There are moments of difficulty, sometimes very close to slipping, but I’m finally starting to think that things can actually change for the better.

At the end of each Year, Google makes a short video about the most important or popular things people were searching or talking about during the year. This year’s video is a good summary of the pain, fear, and division the country has felt, but it also reminds us of all the wonderful things we often forget about. I shared the video on Facebook with a little post I’ll copy here.

It’s easy to dwell on the bad things that happen to us and the world. When I think back on my younger years, the first things that I remember are the destructive habits I’ve been fighting for twelve years.

But if I try just a little bit, a flood of beautiful and happy memories comes to the surface. We’re so used to summarizing our lives in 140 characters or 10 second snaps, we forget that our lives are so full of, well, life.

Life is happy *and* sad. Without the sad, the happy wouldn’t be special. Beauty is born from diversity.

As we move into another year, let us learn from the past, but let us also forgive those who have hurt us. Let us set aside our selfish pride and see others as family. Listen to them, care for them, learn from them, and love them all.

That second paragraph was the most interesting to me. And that idea of not forgetting to experience or remember all the little or in-between moments in life has stuck in my head and grown stronger. Enough that I want to make it, not a “New Year’s Resolution” (I don’t do those), but rather a mission for myself and others.

I want to live this next year in such a way that I feel as if I’ve really *lived*. I don’t want to be constrained by the Internet, or introversion, or social awkwardness. I want to experience and enjoy my own life, not just survive another 365 days.

Going on some awesome vacation is good and all, but that’s only a short part of the year. It’s how I live in-between adventures that I want to improve this year. If I come home every day to my computer and TV, I at least want to do something meaningful or exciting. I should take up some new hobby. I should change some habits.

Whatever I do I want it to slowly but surely change some fundamental aspect of my normal life. Make me healthier, more confident, more active, more creative.

I’ve spent the last two months of sanity marveling that I’m doing so well. I’ve slowly gone from lying flat on my face in the dirt to crouching on my hands and knees. Over time I will learn to walk again. For now I’m just glad I can see the sky.