Hi Everyone! Happy almost New Year. I think we can all agree that this year was a rollercoaster of emotions. I thought this year went by really quick. Do you guys remember the murder hornets and the Tiger King phase? I still think Carole Baskin killed her husband, but that’s for another discussion. I’m almost positive that no one expected the start of the decade to be like this. Through all the good and bad, I think that this year was filled with growth for everyone. We were pushed to our limits at least once this year, and were forced to put our emotional and mental skills to the test. It wasn’t until a couple of months ago that I was told to stop giving in to the “pandemic mentality”. My 2020 was not bad at all if I turned my view around. Yes, I had some meltdowns and difficult periods of time, but those difficulties forced me to learn lessons and pick myself up to get through it and keep moving forward. I was fortunate to be employed throughout the year, say that my loved ones are safe and healthy, my parents still had their jobs, and we still had a roof over our heads with food on our table. We are BLESSED. I’ll forever be grateful to say that I survived this crazy year.
At the beginning of this year I started my first full-time “big girl” job right out of college. I went into it with speculations, but I assumed that I’d grow to like it. Then in February I took a vacation to Las Vegas, not knowing that would be my last trip for a while. It was very fun, and I’m glad that we decided to continue with that trip. At the time, there was only talk of a handful of infected individuals in Washington state and Oregon. Then the March lockdown happened right when we returned home. Thankfully I still had my office job, and the building did everything they could to keep us safe. We went through many different procedures and policies throughout the course of the lockdown, but continued to work in-office through it all. Many events had to be canceled, and we had to pull the plug on the dance concert we were planning. Breaking the news to our students was very hard and emotional. Although that was heartbreaking, the plus side is that we all were able to spend more time with our families during that time we would’ve spent in rehearsals. I even had a dance-mom tell me that she’s grateful for the extra time she got to spend with her daughter before she started college! During the summer I spent many hours working overtime to onboard the contact tracers for our state. It was cool to play a part in all this, but I was growing more and more spiteful towards my job. I was overworked, burnt out, annoyed, frustrated, and was desperate to get out. Thankfully I gained the courage to put myself out there and email executives and directors to get my name out. After many job applications and emails, I landed my current job at a local non-profit organization. It “fills my cup”, and makes me proud of what I do to help the bigger picture. I was able to conclude this year with a safe and socially distant quiet holiday season with my family.
My year in a glance was not bad at all. Once I shifted my mindset to focus on the positive (everything but my previous position), things started to line up for me. One thing that was hard for me was the distancing. Not the 6-feet, but the face-to-face connection with people. I miss my family a lot. Outside of my immediate family, I feel like I haven’t seen any of my aunties, uncles, or cousins in months and that’s really hard for me. I’ve hung out with my close friends, but only in small numbers. I have a big family, and when we get together it can easily grow to be a group of 20 people. But staying within my “pod” is the right thing to do in order to keep everyone safe. Hopefully when this is all over we can have a big party with lots of yummy food!!
With all the ups and downs that were thrown at us this year, we are all walking into 2021 with a new mindset. I am looking forward to 2021 to enhance who I am becoming. I set new goals that are more realistic than my last year’s resolutions, and I think will help me to become a better me. I hope 2021 brings you all joy, good health, great memories, and is filled with love. Until next time… Happy New Year!
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