After a year of slow motion solitude and mass fear, this year has flown by! I cannot believe that it is December already and that 2021 is almost over. Does anyone else find it difficult to categorize 2021? Good, bad, ugly? I think 2020 wins World’s Ugliest Year. I give 2021 the benefit of doubt and will say that it has been a good year.

I got vaccinated four times this year: thrice for Covid and once for the Flu. My husband and I continued our long journey towards living healthier. We made more exercise a regular part of our routine this year. I have also successfully transitioned myself to a stand-up desk— and have kept it mostly up— both at my campus office and at my home office all year. I talked my department into getting us stand-up desks just before the pandemic. This simple change makes a huge difference. Get a stand-up desk! As far as eating habits, we made a couple new progressive changes. We have all but stopped eating red meat this year. I had a filet mignon from “Au Revoir’s” on Valentine’s Day. Even though it was delicious, I do not miss steak. We have had a lot more fresh catch and sushi this year! We take advantage of living where there is always excellent seafood.

Almost a year-and-a-half of working remotely concluded in 2021 as the worst of the novel coronavirus and Covid-19 is declared behind us. Getting to see my coworkers and interact in person again is great. I have shared some hearty laughs and engaged in some real quality conversations at work this year. It has also been great to see the university campus come back to life. I cannot unsee how much more expensive it is and how much more personal time is spent by going to-and-fro a traditional office than in working remotely as an IT professional.

No matter where you live on Earth, it seems that the end of the year brings cooler weather and Daylight Savings Time shortens our time spent in the sun. This year, I’m combatting the gloomy effects that the boring winter season brings. I bought a Circadian Optics Therapy Lamp. According to my doctor, it will incite a more energized mood if used in winter mornings. I started using it in November and I must say that it has helped me out pretty well so far. It seems to wake me up differently— more gentle, yet quicker. Contrary to what I assumed, it does not feel offensive to my eyes first thing in the morning. Instead, it has become a welcome addition to my daily routine.

This summer, I drove across the country with my husband. We traveled to visit our families and to see old friends. All along the journey, we got to see amazing sights. We saw the red buttes of Arizona, spent time at the Grand Canyon, traversed the Rocky Mountains, meandered through the plains, and spent time in the Cross Roads of America. We then drove through Appalachia south to Georgia. On the way back to California, we experienced New Orleans for the first time, made stops across the vast state of Texas, and enjoyed some of the best food we have ever had along the way.

As we all know, part of being a successful adult is having a solid understanding of and a game plan for our finances. I want to buy property in SoCal. This fall, I took out a low-interest loan to pay off high-interest credit card debt. I now pay less per month in interest and so I am able to pay more toward my principal balance. I will pay off my consumer debt in about a year versus it taking an excess of three years. Next is knocking-out student loans. Instead of taking advantage of the Department of Education’s suspended payments due to Covid, I am still paying. This will shave off repayment time since interest is not currently accruing. Moving on up!

No, this year has not been super smooth for all of us. It has still been very difficult for many, and it still sometimes feels like we are living in the Twilight Zone. But a sense of normalcy is returning. Soon, we really will have the threat of this pandemic behind us. Yes, 2021 had its ups and downs. But overall, I say it has been a good year. I truly hope that your year has been an overall positive experience, too. You deserve that.

2022 will be the best year for us yet! Let’s make it so!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

See you all next year!