2020 The Terrible?

   

  This year wasn't great. I can say that with absolute certainty. Everyone might just say that it was the worst year that they've had in a long time. But was it really "2020 The Terrible?" It was a year full of sadness, loss, and challenge for so many people. Overall, 2020 was a year full of change. Not just for me, but for nearly everyone in the world. 

    Before this year started, I believed that it was going to be one of the best years of my life (and I'm pretty sure many others thought it would be "their year" as well). I was planning on getting my driver's license, going to three Joni and Friends Family Retreats, have surgery in January, and going to many events. Every single plan either shifted or was made impossible. This post is going to go over my actual 2020. Not the year I technically wanted, but the year we all had. 

    While Australia was on fire and Harry and Meghan quit the royal family, everything was looking up for me. I was raising funds for my retreats unexpectedly quickly by selling things I made and was overall having a great time. COVID-19 was still something that was only happening overseas and we all believed that it would stay that way. I was feeling productive and successful, went to a basketball game, and was eagerly waiting for later moths so I could go to my planned events (conferences, camping trips, concerts, retreats, and more). 

    COVID had finally come to the U.S. when March came around. One of the hardest months of 2020 for me. My dad and I finally got our kidney transplant surgery date. But soon everything would change. The worry of  COVID-19 came and was very real. My family and I were becoming concerned for our elderly uncle catching the virus and were slowly planning precautions. Days after discussing it, our uncle passed away after his second heart attack. It was a blow that none of us were expecting. We miss him so much and wish he would have been able to see our new home and celebrate the holidays with us. Illinois locked down due to the virus days later. Six days after the loss of our family member, we also had the surgery date torn from our fingers. 

    While cities burned and rumors of "murder hornets" swirled around, nothing was happening for me. The events I was looking forward to were slowly removed from my calendar one by one. I was staying home more than I had ever been in probably six whole years. It felt so strange that I was actually home. My life slowed down drastically and I felt like I was gonna lose my mind. In May though, I had a huge medical decision to make in the midst of a pandemic. Whether or not I would have surgery to remove my kidney to donate to my dad. I decided to say yes and the procedure was scheduled for the next month. I also got a German Shepherd puppy. Easily a highlight of the year. 

    As Chicago was bombarded with constant fireworks, I sat in a hospital room alone. I had given up an internal organ and was sitting in my room watching the news, HGTV, and The Food Network as I ate Jell-O. I recovered from surgery (I won't go to much into it because I have a post about the surgery already) and still have pain today. 

    After Kanye announced his candidacy for the presidential election, I was finally able to go on a trip. I went camping with friends and laughed just about the whole time. We ate some great food, people swam, we saw a comet, and we tie-dyed some shirts. So many great things happened and there was so much to smile about. Once I returned to a place with internet access, I thoroughly enjoyed new music by Taylor Swift. 

    While Trump and Biden were debating, I spent my first day in my new Indiana home. We moved in and have been loving small town living ever since. There isn't constant traffic and I have a gorgeous view every single day. A great contrast from my no windows bedroom in Chicago. Each morning the sky is clear, I get sun rays shining in my window. The frost in later months shine from the grass below. All the fresh air here is just fantastic. There is a ton of work and upkeep ahead, but it will all be worth it.

    Votes were being counted at the same time I was painting my room. My family and I were settling into our new home and bringing in our Christmas tree. Thanksgiving came and went, different from so many years as we had lost people and were celebrating in a different place. While we were thankful, there was still a twinge of sadness.

    December draws to a close and my family has spent our first Christmas in our new home and will be having New Years here for the first time. We've spent two months here and have grown to love it even more than when we first saw it. 

    Overall, there were some pretty low moments this year. But I would love to think about what would be a part of my year's HIGHlight real. The tears of laughter (mixed with tears physical pain) while playing Mad Libs on Zoom, the joy of watching my puppy discover bubbles for the first time, going stargazing with friends who are practically my family, Taylor Swift releasing TWO surprise albums, and so many other moments. I cherish the people who checked in with me this year more than I would have otherwise. I actually had the time to rest and recover after surgery.

2020 is coming to an end and I think we've all learned a lot from it. Some of us learned how to sew or make sourdough bread. We were forced to slow down from our quick paced lives to a pace quarantine left us in. When all our plans were knocked out of whack, we were prompted to remember that we can't see the big picture. 

In my "year's end" post last year, I hoped 2020 would be better than 2019. This coming year, I hope that you will have a chance to ponder all the lessons that were taught this year. Happy New Year. 

Until next time, 

KS

Thank you SO much for reading. It means so much to me that you do! It would also me a ton to me if you'd follow me on my Instagram too! Keep an eye out for a post on this site eight days from now (a super easy way to be notified is to follow or subscribe 😉), or for a post four days from now on She Be Fierce 2! I just published a post about what I treats I make during the holidays, so go check it out!