I am always hopeful entering a new year, even when things seem to be in a bad place, I believe that they can get better. I usually make grand plans trying to force things to be better, but I’ve learned that I just need to let things settle a bit. This year, I haven’t made any grand plans, but I do have goals.

Mostly, I want a return to normalcy this year. No more crazy destruction of what our country has always stood for, no more languishing in unemployment, and I get to keep my mom. Those are my over-arching wishes for 2026, but I do want a little bit more than that.

I want to find a place where I belong, and people that I can belong with. I want to feel safe and comfortable being myself, and I want to be accepted for who I am. I understand myself a lot better now, but its still hard to translate that understanding into a way to truly connect with others. More than anything, I want to be seen, and I want to be known.

So 2026 is the year of building community, making new friends, reconnecting with old friends, and embracing everything that makes me uniquely me.