2020

Wow what a year 2020 was. I still remember how I spent 2020 New Year’s Eve. R and I went to our friend’s place for dinner, we met everybody and left early to go to LA’s Grand Park at Downtown, where LA’s annual NYE party was held. Much like NYC’s Times Square, only in smaller scale. It was both of our first time going to the event although it was an annual thing. R said he usually just spend NYE at home or with his friends. We were excited to be in the crowd, there were small stages with live music, photo booths, lots of food trucks.. we definitely felt the vibe and excitement. Then came the countdown. To be completely honest it wasn’t major but now, looking back, it seemed like it was everything. Light show, music, and mass countdown, shouting “Happy New Year!” to fellow Angelenos.. wow. If only we knew what was going to happen in the following months…

Before everything happened, we managed to have a little break, just the two of us. We went on a road trip up north, driving down the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur, all the way to Monterey (Remember the series Big Little Lies?). I think that was in January, or early February. I forgot and I’m in this writing roll so I didn’t want to bother checking my phone for the timestamps.

March was when the world changed. I remember the first lockdown because that weekend I was out with my friends bar hopping in West LA, celebrating one of us’ birthday. There was already this weird thing in the atmosphere because the bars already knew that they were going to have to close come Sunday, so they closed early that Saturday. I remember also going to coffee brunch next Sunday, then that’s it. That was the last time we went out and properly dine out.

What follows after was a series of weird events. Seriously I think 2020 was weird. But weird doesn’t always mean negative. It could bring positivity too. Like when I finished my certificate program, then had a virtual graduation ceremony, then borrowed my friend’s toga and graduation gown to get my picture taken at an empty university hall… It was weird, right? but a good one.

There were also a series of roller coaster ride of emotions. Lows and highs. Tears and laughs. Surprises – bad ones, like having had to cancel plans and finding delays…. and good ones, like when God opened the door for us to move to a new house.

As I was reflecting on the past year, I realized something. 2020 has helped me learn to believe that I am always where I am supposed to be. With that in mind, I now enter 2021 in peace. I still have goals, targets, and plans, and I will keep striving forward, but I believe I can now accept things better should things not go according to plan.

Above all, I am thankful for my loved ones’ health and safety, and I pray the same for you and yours. 2021, let’s do this!