Ah, 2020, what a year you have been. So many things have changed, but change is not always bad. I started working from home in March, like many others, but I will be returning to campus for the Spring 2021 semester. I am looking forward to seeing my students in person as opposed to in a box on my computer screen. Teaching will be different, but different, just as change, can be good. I know that I have learned quite a lot about remote learning, engaging students, and rolling with things as they come along. All of these things will make me a better professor, so for that I am thankful.
I wrote earlier about my trip that was not. This was a disappointing time in 2020, but we have moved on and have made changes to our trip. We were able to book our flight for June 2021, and the airline added thirty percent of the value of our vouchers to our vouchers allowing us to book the flight we wanted. I think that we have decided that a cruise is not in our best interest, so instead we are going to purchase Eurail passes and see Europe from a train as opposed to a cruise ship. In the end, this may be even better as we can stay longer in areas that we want, and move on from those we are not enjoying. The most important thing is that myself and my two besties will be traveling together celebrating us. How can that be bad?
What am I hoping for in 2021? I am going to start with I hope that we can go back to participating in events that raise monies for organizations that help others. I know that many organizations suffered this year, and as a result, those who benefit from those organizations also suffered. I participated in many virtual events this year to help some of my favorite organizations, but I will admit, it was not the same as being in person. Regardless, I will continue to sign up for races/5ks/10ks, whatever the race is as I know how far my entry fee can go in helping others.
I also hope that we each learned something during this time. I know some of my friends have taken on new hobbies that they would never have done before, and that they have found great joy in the new activity. How amazing is that?! I hope that we each have learned something about ourselves – be it a strength that we did not know that we had or something that needs adjustment.
I ask each of you to just take a moment in the final days of 2020 to truly reflect on this year and find the good in it. The good is there, it may be overshadowed by the bad, but it is there and we owe it to ourselves to find the good and let it shine!
Until the next post. And, as always, thank you for reading.