How are you all doing? I mean, how are you really doing?

There are honestly no words to describe the year 2020. Surprising, depressing, invigorating, infuriating, disappointing, life-changing…a complete shit-show?

It’s been a while since I’ve written a post on this blog, and I couldn’t return without addressing the multiple elephants in the room. How have I been? Generally okay. My last post on this blog was in August 2019. Since then, I have changed jobs, started a podcast, and hosted an entire Christmas celebration with my boyfriend and our families. (That was definitely a new step for us.)

2020 has been weird. I went into the year with so much inspiration. After a mini enlightenment session I had with myself late last year, 2020 was supposed to be the year of self-care, new adventures, prosperity, and wisdom. 2020 was supposed to be THE YEAR for me. I had so many goals to accomplish that were genuinely going to make me happy.

Instead, it has been a roller coaster of events. This year:

• Thousands of people have died from COVID-19.
• Thousands of people still don’t believe COVID-19 is real.
• My grandfather passed away, and I had to watch bits of his funeral on the Marco Polo app.
• Millions of people were sent home and laid off from their jobs (including some of my own family).
• Unemployment assistance has just ran out, and my country is still collecting rent payments, utilities, and more.
• We have been confined to our homes for the last five months (and will be for the foreseeable future until we can flatten the curve on this virus).
• Thousands of people have boycotted masks and stay-at-home orders.
• Black Lives Matter became a thing. Again. (I’m black by the way.)
• My best friend’s mom died from COVID-19.
• Baseless conspiracy theories are running rampant through the internet.
• EVERYTHING is political.
• The mental health of my country is at an all-time low.

I am EXHAUSTED, you guys. It wasn’t until recently that I finally decided to stop soaking in the negativity. Yeah, 2020 may not look like the year I wanted, but it’s the year we got. And it’s still not too late to pursue some of the goals I laid out at the beginning of this year. I’ve still been going to therapy, spending more time bonding with my boyfriend, and in the last two weeks, I helped initiate a family workout time, where me, my boyfriend, and our families go to a park once a week to walk, talk, and hang out. (The workouts really help relax me and get rid of some of the stress and tension I build up during the week). While working from home comes with its own challenges (more on that later), both my boyfriend and I have been blessed to be able to keep our jobs. We are close to paying off his car and starting our savings fund for our wedding next year! We’re also embarking on a new journey together: starting a local non-profit! Just goes to show that a lot of positive can come out of all the negative.

My life update in short: I’m doing okay and will be okay. And I hope you’re doing okay, too.

Glad to be back. See you all in the next post.