If you were to tell 15 year old me that I would spend my 24th year, and part of my 25th year in a global pandemic – I would have laughed in your face.

I can’t believe that the world has been standing at this strange – stand still for so long now. It feels weird to think back to last March when this all began and, I laugh a little when I think about how we all thought this would be a 3-4 week thing. Little did we know, right?

This year has felt like, 5 years in one. While surprisingly one of my favourite years of my life thus far, it has not had its shortage of hurdles and challenges. A gentle reminder that with all the good this world has to offer, there is always going to be some bad, but it is always perspective that holds the true power.

I remember back to the first time I went with my Dad to Costco, masked up, with gloves – I was so scared. I remember being so nervous walking around the store, and seeing so many shelves empty, I honestly wondered if there would come a time when the supply chain would just stop.

I remember checking the numbers of cases everyday for 2 months at a time – something I learned to stop doing. It’s not good for anyones mental health.

I remember wondering what would happen to my job, and feared that the industry I have truly grown to love, would just not be able to survive with everyone working from home.

I remember for the first time, thinking “I don’t have any control of this”

But we never did have control of anything, and I remind myself of that simple fact daily.

Through this last year, it would be easy for anyone to look at it and see the amount of loss experienced – lives, time, adventures – the list goes on. We’ve all been there, we’ve all felt sorry for ourselves and the lives we all miss and crave, through many many points over the last year.

While this last year has been tough on me, it’s also been so damn beautiful.

I spent time with my family, time that I might not have ever gotten.

I met someone amazing, who makes makes being with them feel like the most effortless thing I’ve ever done.

I got explore my own backyard, literally and metaphorically.

I got more it feels like. More than what I could see for the year ahead this time last year.

For that I am thankful.

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