I don’t know about you, but if someone had told me late last year what was ahead of us, I wouldn’t have believed it. This will probably be, by far, the most unusual and bizarre year we will live through — and we made it. Yes, we had to adapt. Yes, it was challenging. Yes, it felt chaotic.
I’m an advocate of always trying to look on the bright side; so, here is an unpopular opinion: We all needed 2020! This year forced us to slow down, to take a step back, to regain perspective. The perspective that we began to loose about what is important: life, health, family and faith.
So, as it’s now usual, and without further ado, this year’s list, the good, the bad and everything in between:
Jan: After almost two years of his departure, got to see Marco. Had to say goodbye to Vero, one of my best friends, who was moving to Europe to pursue her dreams; took her to the airport and saw her depart. Discovered a seafood restaurant that became one of my favorites places in Mexico City.
Feb: Things at work started to settle down and for the first time felt like things were flowing smoothly. Got to present to our global CPO and received great feedback about the work my team had been doing. Came around Gaby and started following her on Instagram (read more).
Mar: Went into quarantine and our lives suddenly changed. Church meetings stopped. Had to adapt under an uncertain/changing environment to new ways of working. Had a breakdown that was settled by a message from our religious leader, which left me feeling hopeful about the future.
Apr: Temporarily moved to my parent’s, hoping that quarantine was gonna last only a couple of months (how naive!). After a long pause due to an Achilles tendon injury, started working out again and motivated my sisters to do so with me. Regained what I thought to be a lost friendship.
May: Celebrated my birthday under lock down, my family copycat a Cafe Rio recipe for that day. Met with a woman leader I admire (global senior vice president, major leagues) to talk about my next career move. As a gift to myself, I dared to sign up for the first workshop with Gaby, a life changing gift.
Jun: Got serious about therapy. Started 1:1 sessions with Gaby and signed up for a second workshop. Dared to take a step into vulnerability and took the risk of going public with this blog. Lost a close relative to COVID, a big hit for my dad, who started dealing with anxiety symptoms.
Jul: Started commuting between cities, which is what happens when the people you love live in a different cities, but you also need some alone time. Lost my grandmother in the most sudden and quick way. Learned the value of a strong support system in hard moments like death and grief.
Aug: Decided to take a pause with Mexico City and reallocate, which embarked me into what turned out to be a two-month remodeling project. Life consisted of running errands and finding and choosing materials. Realized how much I would have enjoyed being an architect or a interior designer.
Sep: Got promoted, which under the circumstances seemed impossible this year. Took some time off work to deal with the remodeling and packing. Went through the painful process of moving out of an apartment and reallocating between cities with a life packed in a truck.
Oct: Finished the last remodel details, those that seems simple but take the longest. After much hesitation, decided to purchase that Westelm bed and sofa I’ve been keeping an eye on for years. Paid a visit to the hospital due to an at-home accident which left me with a lifetime scar on my foot.
Nov: Moved in into the new place. After eight months of quarantine, got to have a much-needed hair touch up, mani and pedi. After years of not seeing in person, got to catch up with two best friends, like the good old days. Started a new tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving with my sisters.
Dec: Took the last pill of a treatment I started back in Oct 19 and felt relieved. Received a gift to participate in the most amazing end-of-year ritual. Took time off work to make a mental break, take time to reset and spend the holidays with my family.
A person that I recently came around, taught me that we should never let a crisis go to waste. There’s always something good that we can get out of it. Yes, as many of you, I struggled, I complained and I suffered; but I personally refuse to think that this was a lost year. We are alive, we are stronger than we were at the beginning of the year and we shouldn’t take that for granted!
Unapologetic Thoughts 