What has felt like the longest decade of my life, 2020 is finally coming to a close. I have been reflecting on everything that has happened. This year has been anything but normal; I’ve had many ups and downs this year as have so many others. While I could make a way longer list of all the crazy, sad, life altering things that happened this year, I’ve decided instead to write a list of the good things I got out of this year! This article is in no way neglecting the severity of all the horrific things 2020 has brought, I just want to share with you all some things I’ve learned and gotten to appreciate deeper this year.
I MARRIED MY BEST FRIEND!
This is obviously the highlight of our 2020. I’m so grateful we got to have our special day pretty close to the original plans. It was a perfect day I’ll never forget! Now we have the rest of our lives to look forward to! (Also, would not have kept it together at all without my man!)
I GAINED A NEW FAMILY
I’m officially a Karger now and gained amazing new in-laws and a brother and sister in-law!
I MADE LIFESTYLE CHANGES AND LOST 30LBS
Brice and I started doing Keto diet and working out more. We definitely had some ups and downs but managed to power through and lose major pounds before our wedding!
I GOT TO TRAVEL
Despite how stuck we all were in our homes for so long, Brice and I got to travel for our honeymoon! We road tripped to the Ozark National Forest, Nashville, and Asheville (all while wearing a mask).
I GOT TO HAVE LUNCH EVERYDAY WITH MY BEST FRIEND
While this may not have lasted long, for about a month Brice and I had lunch together while WFH order was in place. It is definitely something I’ll cherish because my husband’s job is considered essential and I don’t think we will get to do that again for such a long period of time.
I LEARNED TO TAKE TIME AWAY FROM SCREENS
This one is always hard for me cause I love to binge new shows and scroll through Instagram. But there came a point when I couldn’t take it any more. We started going outdoors after meals or reading books before bed in place of putting on a show. Balance is key and we are figuring it out.
I STRENGTHENED RELATIONSHIPS
Despite the fact that I didn’t see some family or friends for months, we made efforts to carve out time for game nights or catching up. I make more time now to talk to people than I did previously. —Not to say I didn’t have times where I didn’t want to reach out. We all have our own ways of processing; I thrive on human contact and communication.
I ENHANCED MY COOKING SKILLS
Starting a new diet this year as well as restaurants being closed really forced me to figure out what dishes I could make. I started out mostly doing crockpot meals but have really tried to push my confidence levels and create new things!
I SPENT AN ENTIRE WEEK WITH MY FRIEND WHO LIVES VERY FAR AWAY
I was very blessed to have one of my best friends, Julia, come in for our wedding. She spent the entire week before with us and it was exactly what I needed right before the big day!
FRIENDS AND FAMILY CELEBRATED OUR WEDDING NEAR AND FAR
We were both so grateful to all those who attended our wedding in person and to those who reached out to congratulate us! We wish all our loved ones could have been there but how can you be mad at anyone during something this trying? We are blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives.
I LEARNED IT’S OKAY NOT TO ALWAYS BE AT YOUR BEST
This year was filled with days where I didn’t want to do anything or days I was in tears planning a new version of our dream wedding and wondering if we would even have it. I accepted that those days are okay to have and to get through those moments at my own pace.
I STARTED WRITING A BOOK
Stay tuned! It’s been a slow start but I’m proud of myself for finally taking that step to start my book.
I SPENT A LOT OF QUALITY TIME WITH OUR DOG
What’s better than that?!
I JOINED THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR CHI O HOUSTON ALUM
It has been so wonderful to be involved with my sorority alum chapter! I was asked to do website design for our chapter and it has been so fun.
I LEARNED TO ADAPT AND ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES THIS YEAR BROUGHT
This year brought some huge curve balls and a few covid cases or scares amongst my loved ones. I tried my best to keep my head high, pray for everyone, and not get upset at changes I couldn’t control.
I FAILED A FEW TIMES
I have been trying to get my blog up and running for a while now and every time I wrote something I chickened out in sharing it. Then I would put off writing another until it had been months. Maybe it was self sabotage or maybe it was just this year. But one of my goals this year is to work hard at my blog, so I’m grateful I failed at it this year in order to learn.
I LEARNED TO SAY NO
If you know me, you know I’m a YES WOMAN! I try and go to every event my friends and family have, I hate missing out and have major FOMO. However, this year I’ve said no a few times for my own health and that of others. I learned that sometimes the best thing I need to relax and recharge is quality time at home with my partner.
THE STEELERS WON THEIR DIVISION
This one may seem silly, but this girl loves her team!
MY WEDDING COORDINATOR KAREN!
Without my AMAZING coordinator I don’t think our dream wedding would have happened. Karen was a God send, she truly stepped up to the challenge of helping her covid brides and she did it flawlessly! There are so many things I want to say about her company Clay and Vine Events, and I will in a separate blog solely about my vendors— cause seriously Karen found me the dream team!
I HAVE NEW GOALS FOR 2021 AND HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO IMPELEMENT THEM
This year has shown me a lot about myself, some things I like and some things I want to work on and improve. I’ve got my long term and short term goals set and I’m ready to kick it into high gear to make those happen! I know the world won’t be back to normal at the stroke of midnight, but I have a positive outlook on the year ahead!