… this year was an unconventional one, wasn’t it? I thought about not doing this post at all, as I was looking forward to it less than any of the other year-end posts (and I was… dreading doing any of the year-end posts, if I can be honest). But I had a very nice first 2 months of the year and the rest of the year could have gone so much worse. While the year had fewer milestones and events to look back on compared to years past, there are still little things here and there to remember. It’s good to look at the highlights of the year, no matter how difficult it was, perhaps in spite of how difficult it was.

J A N U A R Y

• Returned to New Orleans for a bachelorette party
  • Walked the French Quarter at night for a haunted history tour
  • Sat within arms’ reach of the trombonist at Preservation Hall for an intimate jazz concert
• Watched Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at the Kennedy Center
• Made dumplings with my in-laws for the Lunar New Year

F E B R U A R Y

• Brunched at my first “party brunch” for a friend’s birthday
• Hosted friends for a Superbowl watch party, for which I tried making jello shots for the first time
• Stuffed myself at all-you-can-eat sushi for a friend’s birthday
• Welcomed friends for a weekend stay that included my first taste of Serendipity 3’s famous frozen hot chocolate
• Hosted a P.S. I Still Love You watch party as a Galentine’s celebration
• Traveled by public transportation for a looong time to reach the Brooklyn Primark
• Met Disney Instagram friends Chelsea and Tiffany during their visit to New York
• Boarded a cruise to the Bahamas for my friend’s bachelorette party
  • Ate so so so so much food
  • Tried bungee-trampoline jumping while wearing a VR headset
  • Failed at but still tried a climbing wall
  • Went snorkeling for the second time in my life

M A R C H

• • Ice skated for an hour in the belly of a cruise ship
  • (Enjoyed perhaps one of the last cruises this season…?)
• Visited Universal Studios for the second time in my life, 10 years after my first visit
• Experienced the magic of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time
• Sheltered in place in the epicenter of the US coronavirus outbreak
• Nursed my husband back to health

A P R I L

• Continued staying home in quarantine
• Started working out daily and twice daily
  • Completed Blogilates’ 14-day quarantine workout

M A Y

• Completed Chloe Ting’s 2-week ab challenge
  • Stopped working out regularly after that…

J U N E

• Celebrated our first wedding anniversary with an at-home Hawaiian feast to recreate honeymoon vibes

J U L Y

• Watched fireworks go off from all over the city from our rooftop, our first evening of fresh air since quarantine began

A U G U S T

• Took a day trip to Rockaway Beach for the first time, enjoying the beach within the confines of our city

S E P T E M B E R

• Supported Chinatown businesses through several weekend visits

O C T O B E R

• Cooked homemade mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival
• Dressed up for 6 days straight for a little Hogwarts Spirit/Halloweek fun

N O V E M B E R

• Ordered “catering” for 2 for Thanksgiving to support local restaurants and enjoy our favorite dishes
• Enjoyed hot pot over Thanksgiving weekend for the first time since February
• Decorated our apartment to be warm and festive to weather the lonely cold months ahead

D E C E M B E R

• Rewatched all of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies

Believe me when I say there were a LOT of lows this year. I burned out very hard and spent a lot of this pandemic crying, often for a good reason, sometimes without. There were many days that the activities I listed above were just motions I went through to try and distract myself from impending doom outside the walls of my apartment. I don’t want this highlight reel to make light of what was a truly difficult year for everyone, but I know that I was one of the luckier ones in 2020 and I want to take stock of all that I am fortunate for and more.

May we all have a brighter and better 2021.

Past years: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013