Moments from 2020

For the past 5-ish years, I have been recapping my year by sharing the highlights from each month. However, this year it feels inappropriate to talk about all of the highlights in my personal life when so many people had a year of loneliness, loss, financial struggles... the list could go on. For many, this year didn't have many highlights. This was a year flooded with struggles, sadness, and uncertainty. But, this year also brought hope, love, compassion, togetherness, and taught us what is truly important as human beings. So, here are my highlights, lowlights, and mostly just moments from 2020 that stuck out from all of the rest (because let's be honest, a lot of the days looked the same...)

Disclaimer: I have never had Covid, for which I am incredibly grateful. I have been taking the virus seriously from the moment I got home from spring break. I am incredibly grateful for my health and have always tried to make the right decisions for myself and for the greater community to not spread the virus... which you don't always see online. Of course, I have made mistakes along the way, but I promise I have been trying my best and will continue to do so.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me this year and followed along. I love this community and those of you who have been nothing but kind to me are truly the reason I continue to blog and share my life online. So, thank you, you know who you are. I appreciate you. Happy New Year!

Without further adieu: here are some of my memorable 2020 moments:

January

+ pre-covid! Spent the second week of 2020 in New York with my aunt and cousin!

+ went back to school for my last semester of college

February

+ attended Lily's Classic -- one of the most fun, annual parties at Wisconsin

+ met Natalie, who introduced me to my boyfriend, who I met on Leap Day, two hours after taking the photo on the top right :)

March

+ pre-covid: went on a big bender at school which was one of the most fun weekends (we had no idea at the time it would be our last bender of college... ever)

+ went on spring break to Gulf Shores, which... looking back... was a terrible idea because it was just as Covid was becoming a known thing. When I got home from the trip I quarantined for two weeks in my room and fortunately was never sick. 

April

+ this was true lockdown for me... spent most of the month reading, going for walks, and watching the sunset...

May

+ graduated from college virtually via YouTube and continued walking my dog, doing nothing, and hanging out at home!

+ oh, but I did camp for a weekend!

June

+ celebrated graduating college with my roommates

+ met Caroline's new puppy, Winston!

+ traveled to Rhode Island to celebrate my college graduation with my family... despite Covid, we had this celebration because this would be the last time I saw my grandma... 

I received a lot of backlash online about this. I know this was a controversial move to travel and see my family, but none of us ended up getting sick, we knew it was the last time we would see my grandmother before she passed in November, and overall, we did what we felt was best for our family. We saw no one but each other and I got tested (and it came back negative) when I returned home.

July

+ got my one and only haircut of the year! lol, I desperately need another.

+ had a picnic with a few friends and tried a handful of rosés!

August

+ went up north with friends for a weekend!

+ turned 22!

September

+ attended my boyfriend's sister's wedding!

+ started my job!

+ ran 60 miles!!!! I did a 50-mile running challenge, ended up running 60, and have barely run since hahaha. still recovering

October

+ went to an apple orchard with a few of my friends!

+ visited Lauren in Chicago for a weekend!

November

+ hosted a Friendsgiving at my house for a few of my best friends! (i had everyone get tested beforehand) 

+ visited my mom in her new home in Charleston

+ random selfie with Joe because it's cute haha

December

+ my grandmother lost her battle to ovarian cancer on November 29. The first weekend of December I flew out to Rhode Island to attend her funeral. This week was particularly stressful because I had just been in Charleston, and I was so worried about all of the flying and potential Covid exposure that I got tested multiple times in a matter of a few days, fortunately, all results came back negative, and I was able to be at the funeral. No one got Covid from the funeral.

+ celebrated my best friend's golden birthday (23!) in Lake Geneva, WI

+ celebrated Christmas in Boston with some of my family (once again, was tested twice beforehand, both results came back negative, and no one has contracted Covid since our Christmas together)

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What were some of your most memorable moments this year?

xoxo