2020. Where do I even start with this one? 2020 was a year filled with tremendous change, many highs, and many lows. But looking back, I would not change a single thing. 2020 taught me a lot about myself (albeit involuntary). It allowed me to spend time I would’ve never had with my family (though at times, a little too much time), and made for some pretty great memories. So, without further ado, let’s recap the year.
January and February kicked off the year in the best way possible. I was loving my second semester at Penn (a very different experience from first semester, but that’s a story for another time): I joined a sorority, met some of my now best friends, was thriving with school and field hockey. I was living my most ideal life… and then COVID hit. You know what they say: all good things must come to an end (kidding?).
We’re at March now. I was supposed to go to Barcelona for spring break with the field hockey team, but for obvious reasons that was canceled. I instead went to the Bahamas with some of my best girlfriends from high school, and that is when the world started going to shit, excuse my French. I vividly remember crying outside the tennis courts, as I received the email that school was canceled and would be virtual for the rest of the year. Not my proudest moment.
I flew back to Penn, packed up my life in a matter of 12 hours, and then flew home to Houston. The start of quarantine was tough for me, to say the least. My family told me “I wasn’t the most pleasant to be around,” and I don’t blame them. I’m not the best when it comes to feelings. My go-to method of coping is keeping super busy to the point where I don’t have the time to think about my feelings. But once quarantine hit, all I had was time to think about my feelings. I felt robbed. Everyone says college is the best 4 years of your life, and I was losing valuable time. However, quarantine provided a great opportunity for self-growth. I learned better ways to cope, like going for walks without my phone, embracing my thoughts and feelings. I also started journaling, and actually talking about my feelings (what a crazy concept). All of this may seem like trivial actions, but it is crazy how big of a difference they made.
The months of April and May sort of blur together, and were quite uneventful. I didn’t leave the house much. I spent the majority of my time with my family making Tik Toks, working out, and watching copious amounts of jeopardy.
In June and July, I was lucky enough to escape the Texas summer heat and go visit my friend Maia in Aspen, cousins in North Carolina, and friend Malia in LA. In Aspen, we went on scenic hikes, bike rides, white water rafting, and dirt biking. In LA, Malia and I ate our way across the city, got some much needed sun, and sang obnoxiously loud to show tunes and throwbacks on our many drives.
August was by far my favorite month of the year. My sister got married, and I gained a new brother! While the wedding didn’t go as originally planned, I would dare to say it was even more delightful. They had the most beautiful ceremony at my Great Aunt’s house with only the immediate family, where we ate, danced, and laughed together all throughout the night. Words cannot even describe how full my heart felt.
In September I moved back to Philly to start my sophomore year. I contracted COVID-19, causing me to spend my 20th birthday in the q. Thankfully, I only had very mild symptoms. I spent the rest of the fall sitting through zoom classes, hanging with friends, and even snuck in quick a trip to London to visit my sister. Bad things happen in Philadelphia 😉
For Thanksgiving I flew back home, and enjoyed not one, but two family feasts. I finished the rest of the semester from home, and then went on a little ski trip to Telluride with some of my best friends from high school. Despite the odds and the fact that I have not been skiing since I was 8, I only fell once. I finished out the year back home in Houston, and a couple of my best girl friends from Penn came to visit for New Years. I can say with certainty that it was definitely their first rodeo.
2020, you were one hell of year. While 2020 was no where near what I envisioned, I am blessed for all the memories I still experienced, relationships I built, and family members that stayed in good health. With all that being said, I am more than happy to kiss 2020 goodbye. 2021, show me what you got.