We’re well into a new year with January already almost at it’s end. I think it’s safe to say that so far it hasn’t been the new, clean slate we all hoped for. 2020 wasn’t necessarily ‘the best year ever’ with many of our plans going down the drain and in general most of the world’s daily lives got erupted and changed in ways none of us really saw coming. That being said, I gotta admit that I didn’t find 2020 too bad. Sure, it wasn’t what I imagined it would be when jumping into the year while watching the fireworks lit up the sky. But I gotta say, to me it was still pretty great year.

At the beginning of every year, when the midnight strikes and everyones is hugging (pre-corona of course), chanting, clinking their champagne glasses, I always ask myself ‘where will I be next year at this time’? I like to imagine and spend a bit of time thinking about it, but truth be told it never turn out the way I imagine it to be at this time. 2020 was probably like that for all of us. But sometimes I also think it’s when its unimaginable, when its unexpected and nothing like we ever thought it would be, that’s when the truly amazing things happen.

I didn’t get to go on any of the travels I had dreamed of in 2020. Travel is, I think, the single on thing I love doing more than anything else. Its what I spend all my money on, my planning on, its the thing I keep trying of. Not being able to go anywhere and feeling very restricted in that sense really shock me and made me think about my core values and dreams. at the end of 2020 I realised: no, I didn’t get to travel. But I got to spend so much time with my family’s and for the first time since moving away, I felt connected to them. I sort of fell in love with my family all over again not to sound like a comolete moron or too cheesy. I guess I had just been so far away in my own dreams and plans I had sort of neglected those who really mean the most to me. And 2020 taught me that.

I didn’t get to meet a lot of new people which is also something I love. I love connecting and sharing experiences with strangers, hearing other points of views and widen my horizon. 2020 didn’t really allow me to do that for a long time. But instead I reconnected with old friends, and it turned out that some of the people I had known for years, but never really gotten close to because of my distractions from other people, turned out to be my closest friends yet. I rediscovered new treasures I had once glimpsed at but never really explored.

I didn’t get to stick to my plans. At all. Being a very organised and plan-loving person, 2020 was very frustrating. Only being able to plan rarely even a week ahead and having no big events to look forward to was very difficult for me. I love living in the moment and focus on mindfulness but 2020 made me realise I had forgotten it a bit. Sure, I knew how ro enjoy a walk, a sunrise or meeting a friend for coffee. But I always had bigger and better things going on in my head. But then 2020 really forced me to truly treasure the everyday moments. I rediscovered the magic of the normality of things. I made sure to enjoy my last year in Scotland and my undergrad by only being able to enjoy the little things. I learned to really love living in my own flat, being on my own, taking it easy. I learned to love going for a morning walk, waking up early, being creative. Ive probably never done as much reading, writing, painting, music as I have in 2020.

2020 was a strange one. I do not mind if 2021 turns out different, hopefully with more options and opportunities than 2020 brought us. But I wouldn’t have been where I am today without all the lesson I were forced to teach myself. In some ways maybe 2020 was one of the best lessons Ive had so far.