2020 in Review

2020 was a year. Despite (or, because of) the massive changes in the world, it felt like the first year in a while where I just… stopped.

That’s not a bad thing. And there was a lot of joy in between.

If my year ended on January 31st, I would have called 2020 incredible. My family began a trip to Europe with a short stopover in Hong Kong, before eventually celebrating Christmas with my extended family for the first time ever. Then, I went on to Amman, Jordan, for a most-incredible short-term exchange.

Shoutout to my mate Doğay who put up with much scoffing every time he tried to warn us about this weird virus in China. You were right.

Life was still pretty normal when we returned home in February. I went to a friend’s wedding, a packed concert, and even uni!

There were signs things weren’t right, but it felt surreal. I remember my first time refusing a handshake at uni, and teaching others how to download Zoom.

Then everything changed. Church moved online with three day’s notice; my 21st was cancelled; I went to a midnight wedding on Zoom; I became an armchair epidemiologist. And I started rating people’s bedrooms.

The period in between March and July is a blur. What happened? Not much, and everything. I took sudden changes to uni and work in my stride for a little bit, before collapsing in exhaustion and confusion.

There was one time where I had to go to Woolworths to buy some ingredients for dinner. I stood at the entrance of the store and my legs stopped. Seeing so many people in one place had me panicked. I went home empty-handed (and slightly teary).

I learnt a lot of lessons in this period, looking back. I’ll come back to these later.

After what seemed like an eternity of monotony, life started to come back. Covid-safe church looked a little different, and we got to visit the regions of New South Wales for a much-needed break (from, like, everything).

Work was a blessing and a joy in 2020. I was lucky to have consistent part-time work throughout the year — more than ever, I know that’s a privilege.

I created more content than I ever had before, worked on fundraising campaigns, and even directed some live TV. I got closer to my colleagues and friends and could see the impact of our work. That was cool.

I’m saying goodbye to 2020 with gratitude for the lessons I learned and hope for the year to come.

It wasn’t the year anyone had wanted, nor expected.

It was challenging, exhausting, and at times bitterly lonely.

Family members suffered, and I messed up more times than I care to count.

As I sit at my desk on December 31st, how can I not look back on this year and praise the One who sustained me through it all?