It has been just over one year since President Donald Trump has taken office. As he prepares to give his first "State of the Union" speech, the nation will undoubtedly be watching closely to see how the president feels his first year on the job has gone and where we are headed as a nation next.

The last year was a wild one, not just in politics. The #metoo movement flipped Hollywood and the business world upside down as wealthy and powerful people left and right were exposed for their awful, and usually criminal, behavior. Bitcoin went from a little-known cryptocurrency that traded around $1,000 to an astounding $20,000 value in mere months.

The volatile commodity eventually came crashing back down in the $10,000 to $13,000 range, but not before minting many new millionaires.

As the nation heads into 2018, here are a few major topics that President Trump will be sure to address.

North Korea

Arguably the most important issue at hand is the current crisis with North Korea. They have nukes. We want them to not have nukes.

They refuse to give up said nukes. The ongoing stalemate has been increasing tensions and slowly inching both countries to war.

How to de-escalate this crisis should be a top priority in 2018. What Trump has to say regarding the recent developments in North Korea should be telling.

Kim Jong Un recently made an announcement to all Koreans, at home and abroad, to come together and work towards unification.

The major stipulation was that the Koreans should handle all unification negotiations alone and without international interference.

This coincided with the announcement that North and South Korea would be combining their women's hockey teams for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

North Korea has stepped back from the usual explosive rhetoric and they have not tested any missiles or nukes in recent weeks.

This may be a sign that they are warming up to solving this crisis without conflict. How Trump chooses to frame the current state of affairs to the nation will go a long way in chartering the country's course going forward.

Economy and tax reform

The Republicans have implemented their long-awaited tax overhaul and Americans are just now starting to see the first effects in their paycheck. Many Americans saw a small increase in their take-home pay as the federal tax brackets have been overhauled.

It is always nice to have a little extra cash so that is surely going to be something that Trump wants to point out in his list of achievements.

The stock market is at an all-time high and unemployment is at it's lowest level in recent memory.

Trump will absolutely take full credit for this success, though it is worth noting that there is definitely credit to be given to the previous administration in getting the wheels turning in the right direction for this boom to happen.

What to expect in 2018?

After an unpredictable 2017, it is truly anyone's guess what to expect moving forward. There will be certain signs in Trump's language and demeanor that should give some credence to where his priorities are going forward.

If he strikes a conciliatory tone regarding Kim Jong Un, noting his willingness to compromise with the upcoming Winter Olympics, we could see relations with North Korea vastly improve over the year. Many are now speculating that Kim has no desire for war with the U.S.

and he is only using the nuclear weapon program as a true deterrent and to gain a seat at the table internationally.

However, if Trump allows his ego and penchant for bombastic statements to take over, we could be in for one of the most volatile years in modern times.
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