2020 in Review

I really look forward to creating and sharing my year-in-review post each December. This time, however, because of the tough year we’ve all endured, it almost feels wrong to highlight the happy moments. I’m willing to admit that I’ve cried many times over the past 9 or so months (are you even human if you didn’t shed a tear!?). And not up for debate, society has really suffered. But, ultimately I’m an optimistic. I lean on the good times, the silver linings, the lessons learned. Those are what have carried me through a challenging 2020.

I don’t need to reiterate all of the terrible things that went down this year. Let’s just say that I’m thrilled our presidency is soon changing. I’m ready for a leader (and female vice president!) who view all humans as equal, believe in a woman’s right to make autonomous decisions over her body, encourage unity and solutions during these broken times, and believe in science… COVID be-gone! I’m ecstatic about the vaccine. Bravo to our incredible health care workers, all essential workers, and, of course, the social justice warriors who sacrificed so much this year. These are the true heroes of 2020.

Additionally (and not to get too personal), I moved out of my shared home with Matt and into my own condo, while we figure things out. I don’t know what the future holds but I’m thankful for the respect we have for one another and for all of the memories. I’m using this time to focus on myself.

As these posts typically go, I’d rather list the highlights of this year – and yes, there were many!

Celebrating the onset of 2020 in a new country – Laos. You may have read my first blog entry of the year, The Trip Where Everything Went Wrong. Once we paid our bribe to enter Luang Prabang, we enjoyed a great 5 days in Laos, a country I knew very little about before visiting. Laos is the only landlocked country in southeast Asia but has beautiful waterfalls, mountains, and the Mekong River. And it’s Buddhist which means lots of monks and ornate temples! The food and beer were excellent. We also traveled 250 miles by motorbike.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. I feel so hashtag blessed that I was able to witness day break at one of the most famed archaeological sites in the world. Knowing that an ancient civilization built such impressive temples and structures without modern equipment is wild. I loathe rising before the sun, but there are rare experiences like this that make it completely worthwhile.

A return to one of my favorite cities – Bangkok. After a few days on the Thai island of Koh Lanta, we traveled to Bangkok for the conclusion of our Asia trip. I love this crazy city. The street food, the temples, the tuk-tuks, and the energy of Khao San Road (sans scorpion this time). Additionally, I reunited with a Thai friend I met a few years back in Hong Kong. She took us through a market and guided us through some local dishes I wouldn’t have known to order. So much fun.

Francesca’s bachelorette party in Miami. A drag brunch, incredible dinner at Myn-Tu, and booze cruise were among the best of the weekend’s shenanigans. Loved celebrating this long-time friend of mine! Little did we realize that this trip (in late February) would be the last party of the year…

So many hikes in the Mountains! Nature really carried me through 2020 and because I live so much closer to the mountains now, I was able to make several trips. Some of the trails hiked included Rough Ridge, Skinny Dip, Table Rock, Hawks Bill, Hanging Rock, Gully Creek, Grayson Highlands, South Mountains, Crowders, Nuwati, and Black Mountain.

Multiple visits to see my family on the Albermarle Sound. My parents left Wake County this year and moved to a beautiful waterfront home in Edenton. It’s great to see them living their best, happy lives. Harry escaped and got lost for a few hours on Thanksgiving, but that’s a story for another time…

Birthday camping trip. In the middle of the pandemic, I was long overdue on seeing my Raleigh crew, so I organized a birthday camping trip in Tobaccoville, NC. We had a blast swimming in the river, listening to music, and hanging by the campfire.

Hindsight is 2020 Road Trip. This trip was a vacation, wellness retreat, and therapy session all rolled into one epic camper van adventure. We covered hundreds of miles over 8 days, visiting national parks in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. So glad Rach and Jess were willing to make it happen. I wrote about the experience here.

Countries visited in 2020: Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, USA. I was scheduled to end the year in Holbox, Mexico but I recently canceled. To be honest, I’m repulsed by the current tourist behavior I’m seeing in the Cancun area (which was my point of transit), as if there’s no pandemic. I decided I’ll use the flight credits for something better next year.

New U.S. cities visited in 2020: Jackson, WY; Salt Lake City and Moab, UT; Vail and Glenwood Springs, CO. I’m looking forward to an upcoming Nashville road trip – my first visit! It will be a muted experience during these weird times, but a new city nonetheless.

Favorite new destinations of 2020: Luang Prabang, Laos, and Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Favorite book of 2020: Where the Crawdad’s Sing by Delia Owens. Popular for good reason, this book was stunning and such a welcomed escape during the early days of quarantine. It’s a combination of mystery, romance, and an ode to Mother Nature. I did quite a bit of reading this year!

When reflecting back on these memories, I’m aware of my privilege, and know that I haven’t had it so bad. During a period where so many experienced hardship, I still wandered to the best of my ability and did plenty of exploring. I’ve been lucky to have sunset views from both Charlotte homes and even had a few Raleigh visitors. This year, I saw several friends bring beautiful babies into this world. I’m healthy. I’m still employed… in fact, I ended the year with a promotion! Thankful.

As for next year, I can’t wait to be vaccinated. I’m ready to see full faces again and to meet people locally. I’m eager to safely see my grandparents after so much time apart, and I’m excited to witness friends get married who were delayed this year. I’m anxious to return to group yoga and to travel normally by air. I can’t wait to use my flight credits for new destinations, and to make up for lost time. 2020 really put everything into perspective.

Better days are ahead.