2020 in review: 12 things I learnt this year

I didn't write a blog post about the things I wanted to do, see and achieve in 2020 - mainly because this time last year my blog was on a lengthy and unintended hiatus. But it doesn't matter, because 2020 was shot to pieces in its early stages, barely out of the starting blocks before it crumbled. That's not to say I didn't have plans for this year - buying a house, a Christmas trip to New York, and a weekend away in Liverpool were floating around somewhere in my mind - I just hadn't articulated them on paper, as it were.

Needless to say, none of those things happened, but I seem to have come through 2020 fairly unscathed nonetheless. I'm beyond grateful that (touch wood) none of my friends or family have been taken seriously ill with Covid, I'm grateful to still have a job (for now), and I'm thankful to still be fairly financially secure. I've even managed to wiggle a few positives out of the nine months I've spent at home on furlough. Here are a few things I've learnt in 2020:

Everything happens for a reason 

If things had gone to plan (by which I mean, if I'd saved a bit harder, and embraced the terrifying, grown-up world of mortgages a bit sooner), I might have bought a house or flat and been living in it by the time the dreaded virus struck. That would have left me living alone in a single person household throughout the various lockdowns, and even more worrying, I would have been responsible for a mortgage at a time when job security isn't guaranteed. Thank goodness for procrastinating, eh?

I love my job 

'On assignment' at ZSL London Zoo back in 2016. Working at the zoo for a day made a change from the days when I used to... work at the zoo.

That's never been a secret, but it's never been more obvious than this year, when I've been unable to do it, and there's no guarantee when or if I'll be able to do it again. I really hope that one day soon I'll be out munching my way through afternoon tea, dangling off buildings and going behind the scenes at museums and zoos... all in the name of journalism, of course.

It really is now or never 

I'm very much a 'one day' person, as in 'one day I'll eat in that restaurant/visit that museum/ take that day trip'. This year, as I've watched the restaurants, cafes, museums, bars and theatre shows on my 'one day' list shut, some permanently, I'm kicking myself wishing I'd visited them when I had the chance. So, when the world reopens again, I hope to be more of a 'today' person than a 'one day' person. 

Life's more fun when you're not influenced by other people 

I love all things colourful, the brighter the better, particularly when it comes to clothes. But once you pass the age of 11, going all out wearing rainbow jumpers and stripy shoes isn't always considered appropriate. I haven't bought that many new clothes this year, for obvious reasons, but the ones I have bought, have been purchased (online) because I like them, rather than because I've got somewhere particular to wear them. The results? A pink coat, yellow sandals, and a rainbow jumper, all of which make me incredibly happy, even if they don't make for a fash pack-approved outfit.  Once all this is over, if you see me on the street dressed like Iris Apfel's less stylish grandaughter, just mind your business.

I'll never write a novel 

The idea that everyone has a novel inside them is an appealing one, but having spent the last nine months at home without writing a single sentence of mine, I've made my peace with the fact that inside is where it's staying.

You don't always react to situations as you think you will

Take reading. My extensive reading habit is well-known among my family, friends and colleagues. On a beach holiday, I average a book a day, so my suitcase is half clothes, half books. If you'd told me this time last year that I'd have to stay at home for 9+ months, no work, no travel, I'd have told you that there aren't enough books in the world to keep me occupied for that long. In reality, I've read far fewer books this year than I do in a normal year - partly because I used to read a lot on my now-defunct commute, and partly because it's really damn hard to concentrate on a novel when the world is crumbling around you and you're trying to predict which stage of the apocalypse will arrive next.

It wasn't a lack of time that was stopping me doing things

You know the sort of things... learning a language, starting a business, training for a marathon. When you're sat on a train day in, day out, staring into the back gardens of suburbia due to yet another delay at London Bridge, your mind wanders to all the things you'd do if only you had the time. How much richer would your life be if you could just have a couple of weeks to yourself, to make a start on planting your herb garden and taking up pottery. Spoiler alert kiddies: given all the time in the world, you still won't do those things - it's not a lack of time that's stopping you, it's a lack of motivation.

Our lifestyles are so unnatural

Explanation time: I've always had this theory - influenced, I think, by my four-hour round commute - that humans would be a lot healthier if they led a lifestyle where they could eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, and sleep when tired, rather than having our schedules governed by long commutes and over-running meetings. Of course, I never thought I'd be able to actually test this theory out... until 2020.

Now, rather than being rudely awakened by my alarm at 6.30am and forcing breakfast down before heading to work, and arriving home at 7.30pm absolutely starving, I find I wake up naturally at about 7am, spend a few minutes lazing before getting out of bed. Most of the time, I don't eat breakfast until between 9 and 10, because that's when I'm hungry, and then have a light lunch and earlier dinner. I find I'm eating less, and eating when I need to, and sleeping better because of a more regular schedule (read: I never leave the house). I'm hoping that some of this will stay true when things get back to normal, as our company has made the decision that working from home will be permanent.

Some of the things we do are really disgusting

Traffic light buttons and the buttons on ATMs were some of the first things that people started to talk about as actually quite filthy when the pandemic struck. But the one that I've really thought about is envelopes. The idea of licking an envelope, which you then give to someone for them to open with their hands, is something I've never thought about before, but in the context of Covid, is disgusting. If you got a Christmas card from me this year and wondered why I'd used sellotape and stickers to seal the envelope, there's your answer, and it's something I will be sticking to going forward. 

Next day hair IS better

Friends, hairdressers and magazine articles have always claimed that your hair looks better and is easier to style the day AFTER you wash it. I've never agreed, until this year. Perhaps it's just that I've had nothing better to do, perhaps it's the lack of outside factors such as pollution, or perhaps it's that I've been able to wash my hair when it needs it, rather than when I have time, but I've noticed that actually, it's true. Just one of the finer details I've had the time to notice this year.

I could never live abroad 

Not that I had any plans to, but hearing stories of people stranded away from home, friends and family for months at a time this year has confirmed what I always suspected - the nomadic lifestyle isn't for me.

The old ones are the best 

What was I doing between 2000-2007 to miss this gem the first time round?

I'm talking about TV shows here. Not entirely sure what I was doing for most of my childhood/teenage years (homework, probably), but several magnificent shows seem to have passed me right by. Thanks to the wonders of Netflix, I've spent 2020 educating myself on the wonders of Gilmore Girls, the bitchiness of Gossip Girl, and the downright 90s-ness of Dawson's Creek - so I finally understand the cultural references and GIFs you've all been throwing around for years.

Despite the challenges of this year and the fact that it didn't go remotely to plan, there are a few things I'm proud to have accomplished.

I was thrilled that my photo was chosen to feature on the cover of a brochure promoting businesses in my local area when they reopened after the first lockdown. I've always enjoyed photography as a hobby and would love to see my photos featured in other publications.

Image: acprint_

I'm also rather pleased that I've found the time and motivation to restart this blog, even if things to write about have been slim on the ground. I hope to be bringing you more travel dispatches and afternoon tea reviews sometime in 2021, but thanks for sticking around to celebrate the 10th anniversary in the mean time.

Walking and photography are two things I've enjoyed a lot in 2020. I've always loved photography, but in recent years it's become very much a Work Thing, so it's been a refreshing change to take photos of the things I want to, and not having to worry about simultaneously photographing, filming, and Instagramming from the work account (I dread the day my company adopts TikTok...). As for walking, it's something I've always done, but in recent years it's been a necessity to get me from A to B, rather than something done for pleasure. Discovering routes, footpaths and fields close to my house and watching them change through the seasons has been one of my highlights of 2020, and stumbling across a Christmas tree farm which I never knew existed was a fantastic treat.

Here's hoping this time next year, we'll all have been together in person, made up for lost time and cancelled adventures, and be ready to see in 2022 at a proper New Year's Eve.