Wow. What a year.
Let me tell you, I had high hopes for my 25th year of life. I think one of the toughest parts of this year is the feeling of lost time. 2020 was the year of small victories. The year I moved into my own place and to my surprise, loved it. The year I learned a lot of Tik Tok dances. Yes, I am a proud millennial. I know I speak for everyone when I say this was a tough year, but I also realize that I have been extremely lucky compared to others. I am so grateful for my life and the health of everyone around me.
Favorite Memories of 2020 (in no particular order)
Most of my favorite memories this year wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for my job going remote. Although I miss being in the office and seeing my coworkers, working remotely has allowed me to spend more time with people I don’t get to see as often.
It’s interesting because earlier I mentioned the toughest part about this year was feeling like I lost time. And it’s true – I am nostalgic of what life used to be. But this past year I was able to spend so much more time with my family, friends from college and boyfriend so although I did miss out on planned trips, seeing new things, etc. I was able to spend it with the people I love the most – and there’s no loss with that.
Girls Trip to Florida – A trip sponsored by Tik Tok and Half Baked Harvest. I took a 10 hour solo road trip down to Cape Coral, FL to meet two of my best friends from college, Shayna and Sydney. We spent our days working with a beautiful view, lounging at the pool during lunch and testing different recipes every night. It was a dream. The best 10 day sleepover.
Highlands with Mike – This trip was so special to me because it was such a pleasant surprise. Mike and I knew we wanted to get away but our original trip to Boston was cancelled due to COVID (shocker). Quality time is big for me and this getaway was perfect. You can see my travel guide on the Highlands here.
Northeastern Road Trip – 7 states and 34 hours in the car. My 5 best girlfriends and I planned a girls weekend in Boston. Sydney and I wanted to travel safely and hit a few destinations on the way. We figured driving would be the best and safest way to do so. We stayed in New Jersey, DC, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Boston and had a blast.
Wilmington NC – The new home base. I touched on a lot of travel tips for visiting Wilmington here. On a more personal note, I truly love this town and am so excited to call it home. The perfect beach town with delicious food and beautiful beaches. I am so happy that in the midst of the 2020 chaos, my parents were finally able to settle in their dream location.
There are so many great memories that I can’t list them all. My birthday, going to New York, moving into my own place… The list goes on.
Journaling the Journey
One thing I am so happy that I’ve had over the past year is my Q&A A Day – 5 Year Journal. This journal will help me remember all the small moments of 2020. Everyone will remember the fact we wore a mask everyday, the endless amount of plexiglass shields, and hugs being cancelled… but I’d like to remember 2020 for more than that.
The journal is easy to keep up with – it asks you the same question on the same day for 5 years. That’s it. If you want to journal, without the actual journaling part of it, this is for you. I started this journal when I graduated college and have been doing it for 3 years now. For example – have you ever gone through old Facebook photos and looked at what you were wearing and thought “what was going through my head”? Well, here’s your chance to find out. I love a good moment of growth – especially in my fashion sense, but mindset works too. I have linked the journal here.
Lessons Learned
Work is important, but so is balancing it with life – I absolutely love my company and job. No doubt about that. But from going into the office everyday to being fully remote, it created time that I didn’t know I had. It really made me think… “what else do I have going on other than work?”. This was especially tough during the months of March – May. I really had to spend time with myself to figure out what I enjoyed. I’ve been spending more time reading, cooking, coloring books (trust me, it’s a nice stress reliever) and walking outside. Small changes that once felt overwhelming and consuming, have now become an outlet for me. And without these new opportunities of time, I wouldn’t have been able to realize that.
Cooking for 1 person is hard – I am not a huge leftover fan so finding recipes where I didn’t have to reheat leftovers for 4 days straight was a challenge. I don’t even mind eating the same thing for a few days. It’s the act of reheating previously cooked food for me. Yes, I know its wasteful. Sue me! A few things that I love now are soup (will be posting my favorite Cauliflower soup soon), tacos and salads. I will be posting about all recipes in the coming weeks 🙂
It’s OK to say no – It’s funny because one of my resolutions for 2020 was to be better about saying no. The list of resolutions I made with my friend Meghan is still on my work desk. Last seen on March 12th, 2020. Oops! I had a habit of saying yes to everything, feeling spread too thin and then bailing on plans. Covid broke that habit pretty quickly. This was the year I learned to say no to things that made me uncomfortable (aka large gatherings in a pandemic or before I am seeing family) and set boundaries for myself. It is still a tough one for me but saying no is always better than backing out of plans.
Exercise helps – I definitely have not been the poster child for exercise since quarantine. I have always loved going to classes, but still don’t feel comfortable going with COVID. It has been a struggle doing home workouts so I have resulted to running (sometimes) and long, outdoor walks. My walks have become my favorite part of the day. Not only do I get a light cardio workout but it is also the BEST stress reliever. It has been my way of giving myself a mental break and taking one big, deep breath. And burning calories while I’m doing it is always a bonus.
2021
If I have learned anything this year, it is to expect the unexpected. Because of this, I am going into 2021 with an open mind and heart. No expectations, only cautious hope. I have a feeling that this will be a big year and I am looking forward to where this year will take me. If you have made it this far, thank you for listening 🙂