Cheers to the end of 2020! What a weird year. Looking back on the last year is so bizarre. Thinking about how it started to how everything is now blows my mind. Never did I think ‘global pandemic’ would define my 2020, but here we are. Despite a chaotic and stressful year, there are a few things I’m glad I started doing this year.
1.Change up my hair: As much as I wanted bangs for my Kimberkopy’s…I was able to resist. But I did try out a middle part towards the end of the summer that I ended up loving. Then in October, I dyed my hair dark brown with Overtone. I did that mainly for blog photos for Halloween but what a thrill to be a brunette for a few weeks. I’ve always had the same old blonde hair with a side part, but I am so glad I tried to switch things up this year.
2. Become a mixologist: Learning to be my own bartender was one of my favorite things I did this year. From starting out quarantine by drinking a glass of champagne every Friday, to having weekly happy hours with Ashley, I have learned how to make some classic cocktails and I really enjoy the whole process.
3. Cook more: When I envisioned myself living on my own, I imagined that I would make elaborate healthy meals all the time. As it turns out, I’m a lazy person who just wants to make pasta all the time. I kicked off 2020 doing the Whole30 in February and then started making my favorite fast food items at home when we were all on lockdown in March and April. I discovered a bunch of easy, healthy and delicious recipes this year. I learned some fun recipes from Tiktok and started following food blogs (like Halfbaked Harvest) on Instagram.
4. Experiment with my closet: You may remember this post from earlier in the year when I tried to amp up my WFH style. I loved having the opportunity to rediscover my style this year since I was not limited to business-casual/ office-appropriate work attire 5 days out of the week. I have to admit that I did become pretty lazy when it came to working from home, but I also strived to dress up more for whenever I leave the house (even if it’s just to grab a coffee or go grocery shopping) because those occasions were so rare.
5. Read more: Thank God I joined a book club this year! My bookclub has really pushed me to read books I normally wouldn’t read, and to finish them in a short amount of time. I look forward to my Zoom bookclub meetings with my friends so much and it’s really helped us stay connected during quarantine. I also got a GoodReads account to help me track with books I want to read and how many books I’ve read. I didn’t meet my 2020 goal, but here’s to meeting my 2021 goal! I also downloaded the Libby app onto my phone and got a Kindle so I could read more ebooks. In 2019 I was going to the physical library pretty often, but that stopped when the shutdowns happened. I don’t like spending a lot of money on books, so borrowing them through the Libby app is so convenient. This year I also discovered how much I enjoy audiobooks because I can multitask while I listen to them. I can roll through books so much quicker now!
6. Learn how to use my sewing machine: Did I ever tell you about my new sewing machine? In April, my mom wanted to learn how to sew her own masks. Unfortunately, her old sewing machine was broken. Then one day when we were cleaning out the garage, my mom stumbled upon a totally new sewing machine with my aunt’s name on it. When we called her to ask why we had her sewing machine, she said she gave it to me when I was 8 years old because I had said I wanted to be a fashion designer. How sweet is that?! And even though my dreams of being a fashion designer are behind me, my mom taught me how to use this new sewing machine. We were able to upcycle an old dress I never wore anymore and I learned how to sew masks and scrunchies all by myself! I hope this year that I’ll continue to practice using my sewing machine so I can make more clothes!
7. Create my own WFH space: Plot twist- it’s just my little brother’s room. I started working from home on March 16th and will most likely not be returning to the physical office space until Q3. Trying to find balance in working from home got easier when I set up a whole room that was dedicated to my workspace. Now at 5pm everyday, I can physically leave that room and all my work responsibilities. Out of sight, out of mind…but never out of the house.
8. Track my sleep: I haven’t tracked my sleep since high school and the last time I did, I had a super freaky recording of me sleep talking that made my friends never want to share a bed with me again. My friend has showed me the “Sleep Cycle” app and it’s been a great investment. Yes, there is a monthly rare but I like hearing the recordings of my sleeptalking gibberish and I have now made getting enough sleep a priority.
9. Start building up my savings more/ invest: In March I started investing in a few stocks on the Robinhood app. I don’t know a lot about stocks but I think it’s good I made that investment and am more in tune now with the stock market…especially during such a crazy year. I also downloaded the Mint app which helps me monitor where my spending is going and help em reach my savings goals.
10. Shopping more locally/secondhand: This year I became so passionate about shopping more sustainably. I used to buy everything I needed for a recreation on a fast-fashion website, but now I focus on renting clothes and thrifting them. I have the Rent the Runway, Poshmark and thredUP apps on my phone. I even became a thredUP ambassador this year! And during the rare times that I don’t rent or shop secondhand for my clothes, I’ve tried to focus my attention on shopping from local shops or small businesses online.
11. Pet-sitting gigs: Who would have thought that during a year of lockdown I would pick up a side hustle? What started as me just watching my friend Sarah’s apartment and cat while she was on vacation, turned into a lowkey business for me. Who would have thought?! I watched 4 different houses this year (some more than one time) and got to hang out with the cutest little pets. Not only is the extra money nice, it’s also nice to live on my own, even if it’s only for a week. It’s like getting paid to stay in an Airbnb. You read more about my pet-sitting adventures here.
12. Got a new therapist: It’s been on my to-do list since last February to seek out a new therapist. While my old therapist was helpful for some surface level issues I was following, I felt she didn’t want to dig any deeper into my psych. I did some research and found a new therapist that had a lot of things in her profile that I identified with. We’ve been meeting online now since November and I already feel like she’s pushing me in a healthy way to conquer some issues I have.
13. Be unapologetic about my views: My word for 2020 was “unapologetic”. And when I came up with that, I was thinking mainly about setting boundaries with people. But looking back on 2020, that word rang true in more ways than one. I’ve not been shy this year about what I believe and what I think is right. Silence is compliance and this year I hope any gray area about how I feel about basic human rights has disappeared.
What is one thing you’re glad you did this year? Comment below!
Thanks for reading! xx