Last day 2020. Well that was fast. Despite the blur of the last three quarters of 2020, I won’t let this year go without my year end post. I’ve been doing this two years since I started blogging and you can back read on my year end post for each year here: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.
If you’ve read each one then congratulations and thank you for doing so. Heehee. You see my year end post is usually a recap of how the year went that leads to (sort of) an essay writing contest on my realizations and learnings. I mean how else would you sum up 365 days?
Interesting enough I’d just like to recap our 2020, no essay writing contest on my learnings thought I wanted to do a 20 things I learned in 2020 blog post but decided to let it go because I can sum it up with just one word. ADAPT. 2020 has been the year we all adapted. It was, to say the least forced on us. Boy this year gave us a shocker and it surprised us with a global pandemic nobody predicted would happen. I doubt anybody ever said 2020 was easy because we were all challenged by how our dynamics and way of living shifted. From normal, to being isolated, to requiring social distancing, to being quarantined. We were forced to adapt but then it also led us to grow. And I think we all needed growth to happen this year so that we can move towards the new year with better understanding not only of ourselves but of the world.
I had to stop myself from doing an essay hahaha! So here’s a little recap on how our 2020 was.
JANUARY
Spent the first day of 2020 in Japan. We’re usually traveling this time of the year. It was such a fun trip because we managed to pack for winter and just brought 1 hand carry luggage each for a 5-day trip! It’s a first for us (especially me since I need my warmers haha) but happy to report we survived!
JSYK (yes how very millennial of me!) I’ve been doing social distancing even before it was mandatory. See, I’m sorta kinda afraid of crowds. I get anxious and oftentimes get vertigo/dizzy when I’m in a crowd hahahay. But I’m not gonna deny how much I like layering despite not liking the cold.
Woke up at 2 am to run my very first 32 kilometers! This was part of my LDR training for my first marathon before I taper. It was such a memorable experience, I never thought I can do it but I did!
Traveled somewhere we’ve never been for a project but wasn’t able to launch it because of the pandemic. Here’s the only photo I posted of it without the geotag heehee.
Februrary
My fave girl celebrated here double digit birthday with a few of her closest friends over lunch and a movie date. It was the last get together we hosted. Such a memorable 10th birthday for our little lady.
Ran my very first marathon. 42 kilometers! It feels amazing! Wrote about it and you can read it HERE.
Did lunch, rode during sunset, had brunch and worked out with friends this month. I never thought this would be the last time things were “normal” before the lockdown happened. ?
March
I had a haircut last March.
Attend Sara Black’s Live Awake Energy Expansion Retreat and I never thought this was the last time I’ll be out without a mask. This was the week before the government announced lockdown for Metro Manila because of Covid-19. So glad I was able to go. I think this somewhat helped me prepare for the shift the pandemic brought.
April, May, June, July
Summer what? What day is it? These months were a total blur despite just staying home and doing the same thing day in and day out. ?
Summer spent at home. The days were slow but the weeks, man and the months flew by. Most of us were busy creating content at home, while trying to adapt. Some learned to bake, some learned to incorporate working out at home, while others had to adjust with the WFH setup. We all tried to mange. Basically we just wanted to survive.
Did a bunch of workout videos on my Instagram, posted it on my feed and saved some stories on my highlights. It was one of the few ways I coped because working out is part of my lifestyle. Didn’t let being locked down stop me from doing my usual routine. I also did a blog post update entering the month of June.
August
Quarantine birthday for my favorite boy! I admit despite not having any other visitors, it was fun doing this for him. I love how he enjoyed his birthday even though we were just home. Definitely a memorable one.
I never thought we’d celebrate our birthday in Manila as we were set to leave last May but Covid pushed our plans so here I was celebrating my quarantine birthday. Nonetheless, I am grateful for another year of health & love.
September
First day of school for these two. Attending school online on different time zone was a bit of a challenge but we managed! Another first!
The month where time flew so fast I felt like I was running out of time. We were busy packing and preparing for our move to another country (more on this on a separate post).
A lot of small businesses supported during the pandemic and we’ve tried more than a handful of restaurants that have shifted from dine in to delivery options. You can see some of them on my Instagram. In between creating content and working out, I managed to update my blog by writing about my thoughts during the pandemic and our quarantine life. I also opened up to my anxiety attacks because its one of the scariest moments in my life.
October
The day we left Manila for Dubai.
A month of hotel living as we settle down. It feels like we were just on vacation. But honestly, it was a challenge trying to adapt in a different setting as we came from a country on lockdown, we were not used to living as if everything is back to normal. I think physically we’ve adjusted well but mentally and emotionally we’re still getting there.
November
Celebrated our wedding anniversary by moving in to our home away from home.
We’re officially residents of Dubai.
Our first official family photo in our home.
December
Here’s a first for us. Prepared a full spread of Noche Buena for our first Christmas Eve here.
Our first Christmas here in Dubai. 2020 gave us so much room to adapt. It was uncomfortable. But I’ve learned to make room for agony & discomfort. Despite the global pandemic and moving to another country away from friends and extended family, I am grateful for surviving the year. I am grateful for my family and our good health. I am grateful we get to make new traditions. I am grateful for the many firsts. Despite the uncertainty of 2021 (like in all years), we are welcoming it with hope and faith. Thank you 2020 for all the lessons and for allowing us to slow down and re-evalute what we hold dear. You were unexpected but like any other year, you made us better than we were in 2019.
And now that we’re ready to say goodbye to the year that was, I’m looking forward to 2021 with no expectations. I just carry the thought that we’ll get through it like how we managed to with 2020. Not gonna say we’ll be unscathed but I’m pretty sure we’ll come out of it better. Here’s to wishing everyone a better new year. Here’s to good health and more love for 2021. Happy New Year everyone!
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