I was thinking the other day about January 1, 2020, versus January 1, 2021. For a second, I thought, “Wow, not much has change!” Then I started thinking about all the events and opportunities that happened and it’s been quite a year! Some major events – I got a new car, I graduated college (uhh, how did I forget about this?), I moved in with Tyler, and so much more.

Good-bye 2020

As we’re saying good-bye to 2020 and hello to 2021, I wanted to do a recap and highlight some things that happened in 2020. Last year looked a bit odd and while it might have caused some delays in my plans, it’s okay! We grew in different ways and learned how to appreciate the small things.

2020 Monthly Recap

January 2020

In January, I started my Invisalign treatment with Great Big Smiles. This past year has been a struggle with wearing my Invisalign trays – I might have been better off with getting braces instead, but I’m committed to finishing my treatment in 2021.

I also did No Spend Week (also known as Spending Freeze Week) inspired by one of my favorite bloggers Diana Elizabeth.

Lastly, I started taking weekly golf lessons. My golf instructor was a referral from one of my girlfriends and it’s been going well!

February 2020

In February, I hosted a movie event with Netflix to feature the film To All the Boys I Loved. I also had my first speaking engagement at Arizona Academy of General Dentistry. One of my mentors, Chi Mai-Ly, connected me with the organization and I spoke to several dental professionals on why having social media is important for their practice.

Besides the speaking engagement, I met Tyler’s parents on Lunar New Year. I also got a new car – my first adult purchase, technically, it’s a lease but the same difference. After 10 months, I can say that moving forward, leasing is not for me! Considering my lifestyle, purchasing a car would be the best option.

March 2020

In March, Tyler and I went on a hot air balloon! I purchase us tickets for Valentine’s Day and it was so much fun! Being high up in the air so nice and I loved the breeze.

March was the start of the pandemic and I remember purchasing a lot of cheap flights for November, which I ended up getting refunded since traveling is still an issue, haha.

April 2020

In April, everything was shutting down and I spent most of my time over at my dad’s house during the shutdown. Being with family was the only thing not driving me insane! We went to Lake Havasu and I ended loosing my Cartier Love ring – oops, I bought a new one the next month. Not sure if that was the wisest decision since I stopped working at the nail salon, but oh well.

I finally introduced Tyler on Instagram, and of course, it was an introduction to Henry and Tyler happened to be in the photo. I crack myself up sometimes. Just like most of us, I did a lot of cooking – I made churros, garlic butter shrimp, whipped coffee, and many other dishes that I can’t remember, haha.

May 2020

May was a big month for me – I graduated from Arizona State University in Communication and Mathematics. Besides graduation, I got a job offer at a law firm and their subdivision consulting firm. I also became a Big Sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

June 2020

June was a hard month for me – I lost several friends over stupid political beliefs. I’ve never been one to get heavily involved in politics, but with everything that was going on, it was hard not to get sucked into, especially when we’re all cooped in our homes. I don’t want to go into details but it hurts that even friendships of over 3+ years could end in a split minute because of a disagreement.

It made me appreciate the friendships I have and the new friends I’ve made during this rough time.

July 2020

July was a bit uneventful – I was still recovering from the sadness of events that happened in June, but I rediscovered the library. Learning how to market more efficiently is one of the things I’d love to further my knowledge on, so I checked out a lot of marketing-related books.

August 2020

August started looking a bit normal – I did a photoshoot with Bridal 4 the Win. Wearing wedding gowns and getting my makeup done definitely made me think about how I want my future wedding to look like.

My apartment lease was also ending, which meant I was officially moving in with Tyler. I was already staying with Tyler since January while my friends sublet my apartment, but it became even more official!

August was also our one-year anniversary, which we decided to do a weekend getaway in Sedona for the celebration.

September 2020

September felt normal. My sister and I got to spend time together as she visited Phoenix with her puppies. Tyler and I also did another weekend getaway in Strawberry, Arizona.

October 2020

Prior to the pandemic, I used to host monthly game nights. Seeing how October was my birthday month and restrictions were slowly opening up, I decided to host my first game night in what seems like forever. It was so much fun seeing all of my favorite people in one place. My favorite board game company also sent me a massive package with their other games!

Besides game night, Tyler and I also did a staycation at the Westin Kierland. It was great because we got to bring Henry along with us – I love it when hotels are pet friendly.

Towards the end of October, I had a major allergic reaction to an eye cream I tried. Yikes – my eyes were swollen shut the next morning I woke up and I felt horrible for the next couple of days.

Lastly, I also joined a women’s golf league. It’s so much fun and I love making friends with other female golfers.

November 2020

November was fun and exciting for several reasons. First, I made a birdie! My golf instructor and I played a 9-hole course during our weekly golf lessons and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I made a birdie. Secondly, I did the most sales at work. I do very light sales at my consulting job – I mostly on marketing but this month, I closed 167% more deals than the previous month. CRAZY. Lastly, my mom and sister met Tyler’s whole family during Thanksgiving and I met Tyler’s brother and his family. I was so glad n'[;890 to see everyone get along. I’ve heard so many horror stories about in-laws and I’m so grateful for my family and Tyler’s family.

December 2020

This month had a lot of wins for my blog. I landed my biggest campaign for my blog. I also opened a business account (did you know that LLC and EIN are not the same things?).

Besides business-related stuff, Tyler and I mailed holiday cards for the first time – it was mine and Tyler’s introduction to our extended families. I also learned how to play Mahjong. My friends and I call ourselves the Joy Luck Club. I might be a little too young because I had to Google what Joy Luck Club was, haha.

Overall, 2020 was a good year! I don’t think it was the best year ever, but it was decent (minus the pandemic). I’m super eager for 2021 to come. Hopefully, the world cools down with the politics and pandemic, but a girl can only dream, right?

Hello 2021

For 2021, I’m not one to make resolutions. Usually, if I want to accomplish something, I try my best to do it right away instead of waiting for a new year. For me, I find that setting quarterly goals is a bit more realistic than yearly ones. There are several things I want to improve on for the next couple of months, such as less screen time at night and pay more attention to Tyler. It’s a struggle because I love social media and I’m always on my blog.

Another goal is to spend more time being active, whether it’s by playing golf or taking a cycling class. I want to try to live a healthier life, especially since I’m getting older! I have to be more mindful of what I eat and how I stay active.

What are goals you’re working on?