We made it! The final hours of 2020 are ticking down. Very soon we all get to break up with 2020.

I remember being so excited this time last year. A fresh decade was ahead, the prospects seemed endless. However, my optimism for 2020 could not have been more misplaced.

Even from the start – it was a trainwreck: Australia was on fire; the Royals broke apart; Brexit became a reality, and Iraq and the US seemed to be brewing WW3.

There was also the first news about a nasty virus in China. I remember thinking it would stay there. How naive.

Things perked up for a bit when Trump was impeached, but then tanked again when he was acquitted. By February, the virus, was a household name (Covid-19) and was shaping up to be a massive problem.

March rolled in with a Draconian lockdown in Spain and a worldwide toilet paper shortage. Schools closed, and the longest 3 months of my life began.

For 47 days, my children did not leave the house! My husband came back from the UK with Covid. Thankfully, he was better in a few days. I waited for my symptoms to start – they didn’t. It was an important lesson – Covid-19 could be in the house and with proper isolation measures, it won’t spread.

Do you remember how many unknowns there were last spring? I spent hours scouring the internet looking for data and information. But there was really so little of it. Then the conspiracy theories emerged and a lot of stupid followed.

Things got sci-fi nightmare weird for awhile when murder hornets emerged in America, and locusts swarmed Africa. The world was taking on a dystopian feel.

Like many, I escaped the weirdness of the world by spiraling down a rabbit hole of bizarre aka The Tiger King. I also cooked an unnatural amount! My kids were ravenous bottomless pits. Apparently, attending school virtually makes you famished. I think the virtual school was the worst part of this year for me. I never want to go back to that! The days did pass though, and I stayed busy through all of the lock-down, but it took lots of effort.

Summer came and went. We didn’t go back to Canada because we couldn’t face another 14-day quarantine and the schlepp across the pond. But managed to get to Greece and Switzerland. Travel in a pandemic is way safer and less stressful than you’d think. Moving through Europe was easy in the summer.

The second wave was in full force in Europe when the kids went back to school in September. They complained about their masks for about a week and now it’s the new normal. Covid seemed here to stay and we were learning to adapt. I was just deliriously happy to have them back to school.

Spain is now under curfew till spring. It’s the first time Europe has imposed a curfew since WW2. It’s a strange thing, but it’s helped to lower the numbers. They are predicting possible herd immunity by the end of the summer in Spain. Here’s to hoping.

2020 saw the loss of a lot of talent: Chadwick Boseman, Eddie Van Halen. Sean Connery, Kenny Rogers…

On the flip side, Trumplestiltskin is gone, and Greta Thunberg has gone back to school. At least this year has helped to heal our planet – we need to stay on that track.

Unfortunately, this new year, will not be the end of Covid. But at least we’ve made progress. We’ve made loads of mistakes, but I think we learned a lot too – mostly about ourselves. The vaccines will allow us to get our lives back. I have severe Covid fatigue. I miss going to concerts, movies, and sporting events. The whole entertainment industry has been upended. I hope it will recover. I really miss my family. As handy as Facetime and Zoom are – they will never take the place of a live visit. I can’t wait to see and hug my parents!

So I will approach 2021 with cautious optimism. Hopefully, by this time, next year – we will have had part of the year that included travel, parties, and live shows that we can reminisce about. I’m excited to watch the Olympics.

I hope this new year (eventually) includes lots of family celebrations, parties with friends, and all the good feels.

In the meantime, spend your time doing things that make you happy. Speak kindly to yourself. Read good books and stay away from shit TV. Share your energy with like-minded people. Remember, our time is a precious commodity be picky about who you give yours to.

Wishing you love, health & happiness. Cheers friends.

Here’s to a Safe & Happy New Year.