Let’s be honest, this is basically the one time of year I’m guaranteed to write a blog. Summing up the year gone by and looking forward to hopes for this new year. So let’s jump in…
2020 held a lot of opportunity!
I applied to go to grad school, and in September began studying for an MA in Theological Studies. This has challenged me a heck of a lot! I’ve learned so much that I didn’t know, I’ve read more in four months than I have in any one year in the rest of my life. It has felt really good to push myself and I feel like it was the best decision despite how hard it’s been!
I stopped washing my hair every day! Lockdown gave me an opportunity to train my hair not to be washed all the time. (But then I got pregnant and my hair got really greasy again. Thinking it’ll be a temporary bump in the longer lasting hair journey!)
I’ve spent a fair bit of time reading about indigenous history and colonialism. It’s been very eye opening and pretty shocking both historically and in present day.
Got in my first car accident! This one has it’s highs and lows. The lows were for sure being rammed by a semi-truck/lorry on the way to the ferry port for our re-planned summer holiday in October! But the highs that came through were that we managed to make the most of our trip still, the car was totally covered on insurance and got fixed without having to spend a penny, and we weren’t hurt at all.
Speaking of that holiday, we got to visit the west coast of Vancouver Island which was a really fun fews days! We stayed in Ucluelet and visited Tofino, and it was such a lovely retreat – peaceful, gorgeous scenery, and lots of wildlife to see.
I always knew I was more introverted than extroverted but I didn’t realise to what degree it was true until lockdown began! I also didn’t know how much of an extrovert Tom was. I have to keep reminding myself how much fun I have with people, otherwise I would happily stay at home all the time. Every time I’ve come home from a walk with someone, or (when we were allowed to) been to someone’s house for dinner or games I’ve had a boost of energy and thought about how much I had missed it. But then I get back to my little bubble and am happy there again. It’s been a funny old year!
What else is there to say about 2020? I found out I was pregnant! Hit 12 weeks on new year’s eve, so got to share that news with people.
What else? I had my hair cut. I perfected pour over coffee (though can’t stand drinking it now). I started flossing (teeth, not the dance). I stopped working (had hoped to go back to Starbucks or similar one or two days a week, but Covid…). Celebrated the last birthday of my 20s. Saw black bears in the wild, a number of bald eagles, two beavers, and a handful of raccoons. Supported lots of local businesses and went on lots of long walks. I went to England as the world went into lockdown which was very poorly timed as pretty much all of my plans were cancelled! Tom and I binged our way through The Walking Dead on my return and on leaving quarantine, felt like I should’ve been carrying a weapon as a result because it was so dang quiet everywhere.
So onto 2021! What are my goals this year? Well…
I’m hoping to complete another 9 credits this semester – I’m taking New Testament Foundations, Christian Thought and Culture 2, and Introduction to World Christianity (I took CTC1, Old Testament Foundations and Missional Church this semester just gone).
I’m hoping to develop more of a hobby in the next few months… There’s several things I’ve bought over the last couple of years that I’ve not really optimised, including water colour pencils, a ukulele, colouring books, and novels – so those are some things I’d like to use more in my free time.
Most of all though, I’m hoping to birth a healthy baby in July and then to keep him or her alive! That is my ultimate 2021 goal and ongoing for the next… 18 years? They’ve got it after that, right?!
With the expected bundle of joy on the way, we’ll be heading back to the UK for a year from September, so I guess I should also add the goal of making the most of seeing friends and family while we’re there! (And enjoying my fill of supermarket sandwiches, museums and galleries, Monster Munch and Mr Kipling too!)
Ellen Wiggins 