2020

I think - if there were ever a motto for a year, 2020's motto would have to be Expect the Unexpected. I suppose against all odds, here we are at the end of this wild and crazy year, wishing (and hoping and thinking and praying... wait...that's something else...) that 2021 holds good and happy and hopeful and more.

There are days when I can't believe this year has already passed - it seems like it only just started and now here we are, ringing in a whole new start. There are other days when it seemed like this year would never end. Honestly - I think that feeling that this year would never end was more dominant. I'm sure we all feel that way about the passing of time - right?

I always start these posts and think to myself - I should have written about each month as soon as it ended - because January seems like a long time ago! I rang in the New Year with my little sister at La Auberge Provençale and we joke now that we should have known 2020 was going to be rough because January 1st kicked off with my Mom going to the Emergency Room... *sigh* January was also the only snow we got all year... if nothing else, at least the Winter was mild?

I remember that portions of February were extremely warm... for February that is. I think I spent a lot more time outside in February than I'd imagined I would. I also re-did my bedroom; finally got it painted and redecorated. I honestly cannot think of what else happened in February - but I know that we were still going to movies and dining out and not paying too much mind to rumblings about a virus called COVID-19.

Oh March - you were the beginning of all the craziness. Early in the month I visited with my friend Katie and after a cold snap, the weather warmed up so quickly that the cherry blossoms popped out all over DC. We made the trip to see them and that's the last outing I can remember before COVID-19 took over and made life... interesting. I went to a Women's Retreat and we all used hand sanitizer like mad... by mid-March my office had closed down and we were working from home and as the month wrapped up, the phrase "social distancing" became a part of the lexicon. *sigh*  

April was truly the month where the new normal set in... working from home, ordering food for pick-up as opposed to eating out (as restaurants were closed) and ordering face masks to wear when we went out in public. The state of Virginia went into a lockdown that was put in place through early June... however before it was put in place, we got to go on one outing: picking tulips at Burnside Farms. Everyone had to wear masks in the line(s) and stay spread out while in the tulip fields. I convinced my family to dress up for Easter Sunday - even though all we did was pick up Easter lunch from Regions and watch the service online. Welcome to the new normal.

 

The great outdoors became the only respite for the monotony of being at the house all the time - and as such, we hiked to Storybook Trail, Stoney Man and others, along with exploring walking trails a little closer to home. We discovered a random waterfall on the side of the road - literally - right outside Harper's Ferry and I was able to go get a hair cut - but I had to call when I arrived at the salon to be let in the locked building, have my temperature taken before being allowed in, immediately wash my hands upon entry and wear my face mask the entire time. What a time to be alive.

Oh June - you were jolly. A lot of places were semi-open for the Summer and so for Father's Day, my family took advantage of that and went for a long weekend to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Face masks were still a must when inside shops or restaurants but for the most part, it seemed like a small slice of normal. We hiked, played goofy golf (I got a hole in one) and just enjoyed the fact that we were traveling. It was a good month - to be sure. 

I should admit here and now that Major League Baseball officially started in July but it was the oddest version ever with no fans and piped in crowd noise; honestly the whole thing was a bust for me. The month of July was spent doing more outdoors activities: hiking, traveling to nearby Blackwater Falls in West Virginia, going tubing on the Shenandoah River and snuggling some of my favorite girls for the first time in months. I also went to a COVID wedding on July 4th - everyone sat spread out, there were only about 25 attendees and it was all outside. Interesting...

Thank goodness for gorgeous Summer weather - I feel like one gift of 2020 was a lot of time spent outdoors! Whether we were hiking in the National Park or near the house, relaxing in the sunshine on the back deck or dining outdoors - there was so much time spent out in the sunshine! August was no exception... we hiked a couple different trails in the National Park and near our house, dined out a plenty and even got to go back to Burnside Farms to pick sunflowers. 

September included travel - what a joy! We spent the weekend of Labor Day in Pittsburgh; a city I'd never been to before but would 100% go back to - it was such a delight! We had amazing food (I tried pierogis) and took in the sights and sounds of the city over the course of three days. My Mom and I attended the women's conference at church in the middle of the month and my dental adventures (don't skip the dentist for six years - it's not a wise choice) began.

I turned 36 at the beginning of October and spent the early days of the month celebrating with day trips to some of my favorite places all around the Northern Virginia area, culminating in a spa day in West Virginia, a unicorn ice cream cake and dinner at Hunter's Head Tavern. It was such a wonderful way to celebrate another year! I voted early in the crazy US election, the gingko trees turned the most brilliant gold and when Halloween rolled around, my friends and I dressed as Founding Fathers - I was Alexander Hamilton! 

What a month November was - I spent half of it in the United Kingdom and it was absolutely wonderful! Almost as soon as the month kicked off, I hopped on a plane and was bound for the U.K to spend 18 days with my younger sister and my Mom. The country was in a state of lockdown because of COVID but we still had a wonderful time - we walked all over my sister's little town, discovered churches, parks and green spaces all over the English countryside, had wonderful meals together and just enjoyed being together! I celebrated Thanksgiving with some wonderful friends once I was home again and got ready for the Christmas season!

Oh December - you were kind of a roller coaster - and I never willingly get on roller coasters. *sigh* The month started off nice enough with an outdoor craft fair, cooler weather and exploring Long Branch all decorated for Christmas. I feel like the second two weeks of December are a blur... we got a little over 8 inches of snow; which was beautiful, and we hunkered down at home to celebrate Christmas in our bubble when COVID ended up arriving within in our family. What a way to wind down this crazy year. 

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I truly don't feel that 2020 was a "bad" year - there are a lot of other adjectives I'd use to describe it before I'd use bad... words like: different, challenging, unique, interesting... yes, I'd use all those words. I think the final month of the year has made me anxious (in more ways than one) for the New Year and the promise that it holds. The one promise I know and hold dear is that no matter how much things around me may change - my God will always stay the same - and that's a promise I can always look forward to.

Happy New Year!