2020 Is Here But It Sure As Hell Was Not How I (or we) Imagined It To Be

The last time I checked in with everyone was February 2019. Also, ironically, it was to discuss what I had discovered around Melbourne and actually enjoying what our city has to offer. 

Lo and behold, a year later, we are all being confined to our homes in the wake of this unexpected pandemic. 

Honestly, it’s kind of hard to remember what I did get up to in the last year with our lives now being consumed by this virus and the uncertainty that it brings. In saying that, I definitely don’t want to focus on how chaotic life has become for everyone. I don’t want to add to the anxiety and stress many are experiencing now with a lot of the media reports being quite negative. 

So what did my life look like pre-COVID-19?

I went through a pretty tumultuous time during the first half of 2019, with something happening that really changed my life. I probably won’t touch on it much now but will address it sometime soon. 

Ever since then, I’ve focused a lot more on myself. It’s been a great self-discovery journey (I know, super cliché and slightly cringe) and if anything I find I am more in tune with my emotions, responses and perception of life. I’m constantly learning how to be kind to myself and find ways to heal. 

I started a new job! I swear I feel like every time I do end up writing a Talking Personal I always announce that I’ve changed jobs again. This time I joined the AFL industry, which I am a huge fan of but never thought I’d be involved in. If anything, it was a bit surreal because I actually also graduated with my Master of Criminology by June of last year, but wasn’t utilising it in this new job. It didn’t bother me that much. I think now I’ve come to realise that I wasn’t mentally ready to dive into the Criminology field, and as such, didn’t feel it fair to subject any organisations and its clients to my personal struggles. Whilst I didn’t see myself working in this industry, I have enjoyed every moment of it. The culture, the role itself and the goals we were achieving as a team all made the job exciting to go to every day. 

I spent a lot of time reconnecting with friends and family, which really lifted my spirits. In challenging times, a strong network of people are most needed, and I appreciated every person who made time for me and just made my day that bit better by building memories with me and making me laugh. I definitely did let loose a little too much over the holiday period, which meant I went into January committed to and successfully completing ‘Dry January’. My body was super thankful for that. 

About a month ago, my family and I took a trip to Vietnam to visit relatives. We really did get our family holiday in at the right time because we got back during mid-february and since then flights have been banned in and out of the country. It’s been 4 years since my last trip so it was great to see my relatives again and just appreciate the beauty of the motherland. The highlight of the trip was spending a weekend in Phu Quoc, an island just off Vietnam. We stayed at the JW Marriot Resort and it was breathtaking. 

Currently, work has been called off and I am just sitting at home these days trying to do my part in this social-distancing/lockdown phase. I’m not going to say it’s been fun, but we have the privilege of staying at home and feeling bored whilst many others are at the forefront of combatting this pandemic. I don’t think we can thank our healthcare workers who do go to work so that we can stay at home enough. I hope that everyone is taking care of themselves, staying healthy and happy. We will get through this together. 

I would love to know what you everyone is up to during this time. Please feel free to send through comments, find me on Twitter and slide into my DMs, or even send me an email at printedwords0861@gmail.com. 

Self-isolation can be lonely if we are not staying connected with people so I am all ears for anyone who wants to chat!

Take care and stay healthy!