The year 2020 has just finished, Happy New Year! And guess what, even with the pandemic and all, it seems that I am still here. This blog is still going strong, so let me review what has happened during the past year by giving this overview post. This is the eleventh time I am doing this: I have been doing this since 2010, and I think it's a good way to wrap up the year.
2020 was a bizarre year for me. It was a year of intense and tiring situations, of issues that remained up in the air without any resolution. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that at some point, we would eventually get out of this stronger and things would turn for the better. Life still happened, even while navigating a pandemic. I applied for German citizenship - all the paperwork that were necessary are submitted by now, and I am just waiting for them to get processed. I am still having fun at work. And even though the pandemic has restricted my travel activities, I have still found ways to entertain myself.
So overall, 2020 may not be the greatest year, yet in the end, I am still okay and chugging along.
So what else happened in 2020, at least according to this blog?
In January, I wrote a criticism about academia, remarking how sometimes people's research can be driven by some pet project they have, where they would pursue the search for evidence supporting their theory no matter what. Unfortunately, sometimes this behaviour also affects my work environment, which happened last year. Nevertheless, work was still fun, even when there are major crisis situations.
In February, I wrote about conflicting emotions, which cancel each other out sometimes. I also wrote about seeing a different part of my company, which can be a very different universe. I also wrote about how I deal with crowds, as well as with border patrol, which has changed over the years. I also had some observations about clothing. This month is also the one and only time I traveled outside of Germany, when I spent a weekend in Paris.
In March, I wrote some thoughts down about joining and leaving a company. This was also the time when I started writing about the coronavirus pandemic, and my daily experiences during this time, like how to get a haircut. I also wrote some thoughts about how to motivate people. I also exercised my right to be forgotten yet again.
In April, we were in the middle of Covid-19's first wave, so I wrote about how to shop for food, comparing supermarkets, for example. We explored alternative options, like Amazon, where I realised they have misleading free delivery options. I also wrote about a little encounter about books I had with a stranger. I also remarked about privacy issues, for example regarding the fact that the Internet knows where I eat. I also expressed my desire to support independent bookstores, as well as making last minute changes to travel plans, all because of the pandemic.
In May, I have been watching more Netflix. I also finally closed my Couchsurfing account. I got another haircut, which was a very different experience this time. Also, due to the pandemic, I emphasised the importance to support restaurants and bakeries, and I wrote about my own initiatives to venture out.
In June, I slowly returned to the office, I started meeting friends again, and I even went sight-seeing. I also wrote about being debt-free! Of course, I also wrote about my experiences at the dentist during a pandemic. I also started venturing out, doing a day trip to Halle to see how it was like traveling during a pandemic.
In July, I wrote about how to get a surgery during a pandemic. This was also the month when we started traveling again, albeit domestically. We also spent a long weekend in Hamburg.
In August, I had some thoughts on how to channel my itch to travel, finding alternative ways given constraints imposed by the pandemic. I also started the naturalisation process and apply for German citizenship, by gathering the required documents and taking the naturalisation exam. I also learned to be flexible, given the ever-changing map of risk areas. Finally, I traveled for a bit this month, spending a week in Franconia.
In September, I started missing music. I also realised how Berlin can change as years go by. I also wrote about how to buy cologne during a pandemic, while wearing a mask. I also was again on the road this month, spending a week in Saxony.
In October, I had to cancel a vacation because of the pandemic situation. I also wrote about ghosting. I also had thoughts about this pandemic-induced new normal, which sucks, yet nevertheless, there are also instances that gave me that winning feeling.
In November, I wrote about taking the German language exam as part of the naturalisation process. I also talked about variations in each of our risk appetites, in the context of dealing with the current pandemic. I had to cancel another vacation, and I resisted change. Others did as well. And I got a new camera.
In December, I wrote down my thoughts about winter during a pandemic, which is definitely different this year, given that there is the second lockdown, and people are acting silly. Finally, I also got a new laptop, and continued to reduce my online presence.
This year, I wrote about 30 books, 1 theatre performance, 1 opera and 2 other musical events. With the exception of reading, the pandemic definitely affected the cultural part of my life: I have written about productions I have seen in the beginning of the year, but nothing much happened after that.
Summarising my travel, 2020 was a very atypical year. My country count remained at 50, as I didn't visit any new countries. Given the pandemic, I didn't travel much outside of Germany, only visiting France for a long weekend in February. What is different this year is that I have explored quite a bit of Germany, as the pandemic permits, visiting Halle, Hamburg, Bamberg, Coburg, Kulmbach, Schweinfurt, Würzburg, Bayreuth, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dresden, Bautzen, Zittau, and Görlitz. It's a very different travel pattern, and it is something that I hope I can continue while the pandemic imposes limitations on international travel.
What else? I have walked a lot. I finished the 66 Lakes Trail, completing the last four legs from Halbe to Potsdam. I also completed the Kunstwanderweg, hiking from Wiesenburg to Bad Belzig and back. I hiked the first four of the eight legs of the Malerweg in Saxon Switzerland National Park. And I have been hiking the trails that comprise Berlin's 20 Green Trails, one by one.
Happy 2021 everyone! Stay healthy, and hopefully I still see you here this year!
