In a year of seemingly way more lows than highs, I think we can still find so much beauty in the little moments. Every new year gives me so much energy to make Sunny Side Cecilia a place where you can go to add positivity to your day—so today, I’m sharing my own personal 2020 highlights. I encourage you to spend some time reviewing your year and finding the moments of happiness, both big and small!
January
It’s hard to believe it, but I started 2020 in Nashville with my best friends! We spent the first three days of the new year exploring the city. Obviously, we ate too much delicious food and drank too many expensive drinks, but it was a major 2020 highlight—just days into the year.
I really felt like I was thriving in January: heading to workout classes with friends, applying for jobs, and spending weekends exploring cities. I had no idea how much senior year would change, but I’m always going to be grateful I approached it with a sense of making every moment count from the beginning.
February
February was full of job applications (and stressing about job applications) and working on my blog, but I also filled my month with a few random activities that absolutely made it. A friend’s 21st birthday at a local wine bar, catching a softball game, making time for breakfast dates with friends.
I haven’t decided on a word for 2021 yet, but right now I think my word will be yes. Sounds so silly, but some of my best memories come from saying yes—to a coffee date with a new friend, to heading to a bar after a workout class, even to new professional opportunities.
March
I have a personal theory: Pilot Pete is the reason everything went downhill. Hear me out—we watched the Bachelor finale and then in the next days, we found out that campus was closed. I’m genuinely hopeful that now that he and Kelley have gone their separate ways, things might go back to normal?
In March, I think I felt every emotion. Our spring break was one of the most fun weeks of my life! We headed to Chattanooga and sang karaoke at a bicycle-shop-turned bar, binged Love is Blind, and explored the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
After campus closed, I was so anxious. I spent all day refreshing my phone to see new updates, but it became a lesson in trusting the Lord. I still don’t know what’s going to happen next, but now I’m so much more grateful for the “normal” moments I took for granted.
April
Not too much happened in April, but my walks around Auburn became a highlight! I would call friends, dance around campus, and enjoy Auburn as much as I could. Life in Birmingham has been incredibly busy lately, but I need to make walks a part of my schedule again.
April was also full of the conclusions I didn’t think I would get. Throughout my time at Auburn, I worked as a Writing Consultant at the Writing Center and became close to a few of my clients. I teared up on my last day when we said goodbye, and then I teared up all over again when our staff had an award ceremony. If you’re curious, I won the Lorelai Gilmore award for “most dependent on caffeine”. Because obviously.
May
May was my would-be graduation… and my self-imposed job offer deadline. Even though I didn’t get a chance to walk across the stage, a best friend Hannah and her family hosted a graduation ceremony for Hannah, my roommate Nikki, and me. We had a Zoom call with surprise speakers and “crossed” her driveway. It wasn’t how I expected graduation to go, but it was so much better than I imagined.
In May, I also took on a month-long position writing blog posts for Steel City Pops! I had so much fun stretching my creativity and getting experience while I was applying to other full-time jobs.
June
Truthfully in June, I spent most of my time watching the news. I wasn’t sure the best way to talk about race, and as a white woman I know I’ll always need to reflect and be open to change. In June, I turned 22, but the month went by without any big events for me.
July
July was a big month for me, both personally and professionally. I spent a few days at my friend’s house at the beach. While I was there, I received a job offer that I ultimately decided to take. I recently put in my two weeks’ notice but I’m glad to have six months of professional experience under my belt—and a greater understanding of what roles I’m interested in in the future.
August
August was a time of getting used to my new job, but I also made time to meet friends for the occasional drink or coffee. The weather was absolutely amazing, so I was outside as often as possible.
September
In September, I began contributing to Bham Now again. This is one of my favorite professional experiences, and I’m grateful to work with them and share all things Birmingham. At the end of the month, I visited a friend at her new apartment in Knoxville and learned all about her post-grad life.
Oh, and I got a haircut! This might be a silly highlight, but this made me feel so much more confident… which isn’t silly at all.
October
One of my highlights of October was attending a pop-making class at Steel City Pops! It was so much fun—and delicious. While most events aren’t possible these days, I look forward to attending more for my blog in the future.
November
November was stressful for obvious reasons, so I spent a lot of my time reading. I loved heading to a local green space and reading as the sun set with a cup of coffee. A beautiful part of 2020 has definitely been that it reinvigorated my love of reading. Plus, it’s showed me that working in publishing is a real dream I’m hopeful to pursue!
In November, I became the Saturday content producer for Bham Now. I’m still writing my weekly articles, but this new role means I also do their Saturday Instagram story coverage—so much fun. I’ve been to makers’ markets, a local photoshoot selfie museum, and just explored Birmingham. Saying yes to this role has added to my workload, but it also has been a highlight.
December
This year has been the strangest combination of way too long and flying by. In December, I celebrated Christmas with my family and enjoyed as much coziness inside as possible. In December I also finally decided to go out on a limb and leave my job in the new year.
Even though it’ll sound odd, making that decision was truly a highlight—I felt so much weight lifted off of me. I don’t have a second job lined up but I’m excited to use this time to actually try all of the different things I want to: blogging regularly, branching into book content/publishing work, copywriting, and more.
Looking forward to 2021
I’m truly excited for everything 2021 has to bring, but I know that a new year doesn’t mean everything will automatically change. However, our perspective can change with the new year.
Things might not go the way we want in 2021 and things might not be different at all, but we can be different. We can choose compassion when we respond to those who hurt us. We can choose grace when we make mistakes. Above all, we can choose hope when things don’t go our way. Happy 2021, friends. I’m rooting for you!
1 Comment
Great post!
http://innapishtoy.com/2021/01/17/10-moments-i-am-grateful-for-in-2020/