And just like that, the craziest year of our lives is over! Cole and I rang in the new year as a party of two in our tiny basement apartment. We got all dressed up to celebrate the end of a historical year.
This year has taught me to live in the present, enjoy the little things in life, and look for the silver lining. There were so many dreams and plans that did not come to fruition this year but were rather replaced with other experiences and opportunities I could not have imagined for myself. 2020 was HARD (for everyone)… freaking hard…but with each year that passes, I am learning, growing, and becoming more “me” than ever before.
2020 Year in Review:
January:
- Started my last full semester of school.
February:
- School. All day. Everyday.
March:
- Went to Disneyland and stood in line reading about a corona virus outbreak in China. We washed our hands after every ride.
- Really struggled with my school workload. Took 23 credits in 6 months. Went to school until 10 pm every day.
- Classes got canceled and Cole and I decided to move home to my parents in CA for a “few weeks”.
- My 100% commission based job came to a complete halt.
April:
- Finished up my last full semester of school all online.
- Started to realize this corona virus wasn’t going away anytime soon.
- Mom baked bread literally everyday. We watched Tiger King.
May:
- Celebrated “birthday week” (my sisters and I all have birthdays within a week of each other.
- Realized I needed to find a new job ASAP since I had not made a single dollar since March.
- Started running 3 miles a day. I have never been a runner, so this was a big accomplishment for me.
- Celebrated my college graduation in the backyard with my family. Received my diploma in the mail. A bit anticlimactic but still fun haha.
- Started applying for my first post-grad jobs. 76 applications to be exact, before getting a single interview. Graduating during a pandemic is hard.
June:
- Moved back to UT to do some serious job searching. REALLY needed a job.
- Went camping in Jackson, WY. Camped, hiked, swam, and had so much fun.
July:
- Got a job offer & accepted.
- We bought and broke ground on a house! Completely unexpected but everything fell into place.
- My family came to town to visit us.
- Cole got into a bad mountain biking accident and broke his femur. I was not allowed into the hospital due to covid regulations. I bawled my eyes out for days.
- Cole had femur surgery but was not allowed to come home because he had complications with his lungs. He stayed in the ICU for a week and was finally sent home with supplemental oxygen.
August:
- Spent the month wheeling Cole around in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank, and staying up all night monitoring his oxygen levels. Had to be extremely careful not to get covid while his lungs were so compromised. This was such a difficult month emotionally, mentally, physically.
September:
- Did a staycation at the Grand America hotel for our 3rd wedding anniversary. Cole was able to go on crutches instead of a wheelchair. Yay!
October:
- Celebrated Halloween at home watching movies.
November:
- Quit a job that made me miserable, and got a job at a company that I love.
- Spent Thanksgiving with Coles family at a cabin in Heber, UT
December:
- Went home to CA for Christmas with my family.
WHAT A YEAR!
In the end, I am grateful for the good, the bad, and the ugly. 2021….. please be nice.