2021 Reflections

The end of 2021 is here (sometimes I still feel like I am in 2020??)

It happens every 12 months, and each December, I feel more and more surprised that an entire year has passed! Living through this pandemic has made time creep, in a way that makes time move both slow and fast. I figured, before we turn a new leaf on Saturday, I’d like to reflect on all that 2021 has brought to my life.

This year, I spent most of my time in Chicago, with a trip to Florida in March to see my family, a few trips to Ohio for some weddings in the summer, and another trip to Florida for our vacation in Miami.

Here are the best and most challenging moments of my year, my 2021 reflections:

Best food eaten

• Cacio e Pepe at Bar Roma in Andersonville

This was Sean & my first outing as fully vaccinated citizens and man oh man, this was amazing. There’s something about being locked inside for 1+ years that will make food taste magical. Do you ever just crave really good Italian food? Like quality homemade pasta & just an ungodly amount of cheese? This 100% settled that craving. The Cacio e Pepe was so fresh and light, but still packed the delicious classic flavor. Still thinking about this pasta (and the euphoria that was the return to indoor dining).

Biggest Challenge

• My injury

So yeah, I actually got injured this year, by own doing of course because I am a klutz, but nonetheless, it was my biggest challenge of 2021. I fell down the stairs while moving apartments, and ended up spraining my ankle. When my ankle didn’t seem to be improving much, I got an MRI and some X-rays, only to find I actually have an extra bone in my foot, called the accessory navicular. This was an insane discovery as I was a figure skater for 11+ years and fell so many times and only to have discovered this extra bone now, as a 25 year old.

So with this extra bone agitating the inner workings of my foot (ie. the posterior tibial tendon if you want to get specific), I had to enter Physical Therapy for 3.5 months, and was in this lovely boot above for 2 months prior to that. It was, and still is, a big struggle. I put so much time and effort into my recovery, and being cooped up during the best months of the year in Chicago was a big bummer. However, I am, by the grace of God, doing much better now. I still have pain with walking sometimes but I would say I am back to about 75% (and I’ll take it!).

Best place visited

• Miami, FL

This was the perfect getaway! If you are interested in reading more about fun things to do in Miami, take a peek at my last blog post!

Best thing I learned

• Active rest

(I think about this very often, it is also a guaranteed laugh.)

As an anxious person all around, it is pretty safe to say I do not sit still well. I am always keeping myself occupied, whether that’s on my phone, or exercising, or working, or cooking, I’ve always got something going on. So when I was injured in May and couch-bound/boot-bound/PT-bound for the rest of the year, I got a huge wake-up call to slow down. I learned that there is value in actively resting. What I mean by that is focusing your energy on rest and recovering. When you are purposeful about it, it seems less like you are doing “nothing” and it feels intentional. Now, I am not saying I am an expert or that I am any good at this, but at least now I have realized its importance.

Best show I watched

• Mare of Easttown

I am a true crime lover, I have always loved a good mystery. So I jumped on the bandwagon and binged Mare of Easttown, and it sucked you in. A stark contrast from Rose in Titanic, Kate Winslet played the multi-layered character of Mare so well. In my book, it is a must-watch.

Biggest Life Change

• Moving apartments

(This is my new view! I absolutely love it, the sunsets here are magnificent).

Last year, I lived in a studio apartment. I moved in in August of 2019 and moved out in May of 2021. The first 6 months there were glorious, I came home from work to a place of my own, I could decompress and recharge. It was the perfect space for me…until the pandemic hit. Working from home in that small place made me crazy.

So you can only guess that moving into a new space that had a door on the bedroom and a ton of natural light made my life so significantly better.

Best thing I tried (again)

• Relaunching the blog!

It feels great to be back writing again, and breaking down all the mental barriers that kept me from writing before. It also feels good to be able to keep a promise to yourself (I made it one of my New Year's resolutions this year to relaunch this thing). Recently, an amazing teacher of mine passed away suddenly, and it made me think of the impact she had on me as a writer. She always encouraged and challenged me as a writer, even from a young age. It was that early confidence in writing that led me to expanding on it as time passed.

While the end of this year is marked with some COVID-uncertainty once again, I am hopeful for 2022. Wishing you all a happy and safe New Year!

Thank you for reading.

-M