2020 in a nutshell...what else?

Nutshells are very popular these days, so...

My 2020 in a nutshell. I had big plans for this year. I was going to travel to Argentina, explore Tuscany and drink as much wine as my liver could handle, figure out my next career move, and - brace yourselves…take up kickboxing. LOL. 

January seemed so normal, with all the usual mundane stuff; hating myself for getting on the tube every day, plumbing problems, rejections, pub crawls, mirror selfies, lots of eating, drinkin and delivery after drinking, a bank account crying out for help after all the unnecessary but much needed weekend spending just to “blow off steam after a hard week at work”, and whining about not having time to exercise or go out or have fun, though in hindsight I HAD. Pretty normal, duh.

In February, I went back to Thessaloniki for my swearing-in ceremony for the Bar Association, closing the law chapter. I even had my own professional cards printed and handed out to 10 people. I didn’t understand it at the time, but that might have been a professional highlight in 2020 (the cards). 

Then back to London where we’re chatting about the unknown virus in China and how impossible it was to reach the UK. Come on, that deserves a HUGE LOL. Worst of all, the last theatre show I saw before the lockdown was Hamilton, which was the first time I have ever slept in a theatre.

Then COVID. 

I was so glad we could just work from home, sure this “thing” would be over in about 2 to 3 months. I thought my only problem was my bf's loud typing. Of course, this serious problem didn’t last long because I got furloughed and I had to google it to find out what it fucking meant. At first it meant uncertainty, fear and worry that I could lose my job at any time, so I started planning how much time my bank account could buy me in London until I found another job just to survive. I decided to calm down and see things more logically; step by step. I already had enough problems to discuss with my therapist, I couldn’t afford to add another one. So what did I do? I just cut my bf’s hair off and basically left him bald for 3 months. And yes, it worked, because now there was living proof in the house that I could have been worse. Just kidding (?).

I baked for about a week, and then I started exercising more, reading, I even took my favourite elevator selfies again, even if  I had to wear a mask now. Time flew by, and we celebrated our first lockdown birthday, but it was also summer, so we had our first Pimm’s, and it kind of felt balanced and normal again, and I finally returned to work from furlough, so excited and energised to be back (spoiler alert: it lasted a week!)

I returned to Greece in the summer. My family was fine and healthy, so that crossed off a big worry on my list. I managed to see my friends but not close enough for it to be enough. I visited two beautiful islands and then went back to work, with no more days off, but lucky to work from Greece for three consecutive months. Never had that before, working from a house by the sea and going for a quick swim on my lunch break. Yes, I am not complaining, I enjoyed it very much. Can we do it again this year please? 

Summer was over and I had only packed summer clothes, so I had to get back to London. The moment I returned, London welcomed me with such warmth; an impressive leak that left a hole over our heads for a month. After all, isn’t this what normal life is like? I started going out a bit more, having a few drinks now and then, until my birthday when everything closed AGAIN. So our house experienced a second lockdown birthday and a second lockdown name day, but who cares, my birthday presents still rocked. 

And then, I had the worst flight back home in December, but I GOT HOME and I get to spend the holidays with my family in lockdown because we didn't experience lockdown together, so there was still something missing from the 2020 puzzle. 

And just to get serious for a few lines, we have to be thankful that we open our eyes every day and we are still okay with all the beautiful mundane things happening in our lives, and that we have our loved ones here, even if we cannot physically see or touch them. Hug your covid-negative family and friends and let’s hope next Christmas I am eating like a pig at Extravaganza, dancing my ass off at La Doze, and getting myself into embarrassing drunken situations. 

Cheers to a happy new year!