2020 Year in Review!
Hello friends! Today is the LAST day of 2020. WOW. There are just a few hours left of this crazy year, and I've spent most of the day today reflecting on it. I think it's important to slow down and simply reflect every once in a while.
It’s easy to have negativity be the default emotion when we think about 2020. “2020 sucks” has become a cliché. And yes, there have been some things this year that have sucked. But I truly believe that there are so many good things that have come out of this year as well. It has put things in perspective and made us realize what’s most important in life. It has also built resilience in all of us. Let’s use 2020 as the foundation for the rest of our lives. Who’s with me?!
I always love receiving Christmas cards and reading about all the exciting things that have happened over the past year in the lives of my friends. I don't have anyone's mailing addresses, but I DO have lots of email addresses! So without further ado, HERE is my 2020 Year in Review AKA my Millennial Christmas Card!
January
I started the year in Austin, Texas. Exploring new cities is one of my favorite things in the world, and this city definitely lives up to its name ;) I returned home and hit the ground running with huge goals in mind for 2020. I got to fulfill a childhood fantasy of sleeping in a treehouse at Treehouse Point in Issaquah. Later in the month, we had a "Winter Retreat" on Anderson Island with my family and a few friends. We also celebrated the birthdays of 2 of my favorite guys. My nephew Easton turned 4, and my grandpa turned 82. January was a great start to the new year!
February
I started out February in San Diego visiting my friend Teddy. I decided to repeat one of my favorite monthly challenges from 2019 and try something new every day for a month. Over the next 29 days, I tried hot yoga, a spin class, cactus tacos, a nerf gun war, and axe throwing. I went to Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry, the Griffith Observatory, and the house from E.T.
THIS POST has a breakdown of all 29 new things that I did. It was a very fun month, and I will definitely do this challenge again next year!
March
March was a month unlike anything we've ever seen. Here's what I wrote in my journal at the end of the month:
“March 2020 was by far one of the craziest months in the last century. The world was hit with Coronavirus, and it has affected pretty much every single person on the planet. I have never seen the world change so much in a matter of just a few weeks. Literally at the beginning of the month, life was very normal. I was going into the office every day, going to church on Sundays, hanging out with friends, going to concerts, and working out at the gym. Then at about the middle of the month, everything hit the fan. All events over 250 people were banned, and we started to see huge organizations close their doors such as Disneyland and the NBA. March 16th was the last day that I could go to the gym, and we decided to close our office on March 17th. Starting on the 25th, the governor officially issued the “Stay Home” order, which requires all non-essential workers to stay home. Life as we know it has completely changed. Most businesses are closed, and restaurants are only open for take out or delivery.”
Reading that back now feels very normal, but if I would have read that in February, I would NOT have believed it. March feels so long ago at this point. Every business out there did their best to pivot and adapt during this crazy month, and our team got together to brainstorm if there was anything we could do to help. We decided to launch our PNW Strong Campaign to feature local businesses and spread awareness about how the community could continue supporting them. We ended up interviewing over 50 business owners, selling PNW Strong shirts, and donating the proceeds to the Tacoma Rescue Mission. We organized the whole thing in just a few days, and I was so impressed with my team for pulling it off and making a positive impact. We also put together THIS VIDEO with "10 Things You Finally Have Time For".
April
For the month of April, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and do one of my most difficult challenges to date: Going live on Facebook every day for a month. Here are some of my favorite Facebook Lives from the month:
6-Year Anniversary in Real Estate
Where the name “Theory” came from
Some of our projects on South Tacoma Way
Empathy
My Favorite Travel Story
Miller Margaritas
Top 5 Favorite Books
How I organize my phone
First Facebook Live - Announcing the challenge
Last Facebook Live - Reflecting on the challenge
I was also very excited to bring back my Vlog in May! HERE is the first Vlog I made in 2020 (there are quite a few more linked below, or you can check out all my vlogs on my YouTube channel).
May
My challenge for the month of May was to hit 10,000 steps every day, so I ended up doing a lot of running, hiking, and golfing throughout the month. We spent a weekend on Anderson Island celebrating Mama Miller for her birthday and Mother's Day, and I also spent a week working remotely from Chelan (one of my favorite places). HERE'S a Vlog I made in Chelan, and HERE'S a Vlog I made about my May Challenge.
We also announced Theory's new mission statement in May, which is to TRANSFORM - People, Communities, and the World. THIS VIDEO provides some more details about our mission going forward.
June
After 3 months of the Stay-at-home order, Tacoma finally moved to "Phase 2" in June. So I was able to do a bunch of things for the first time in WAY too long - getting a haircut, eating inside a restaurant, going to a brewery with friends, going to the gym, etc. It felt so nice to have a little bit of normalcy again. My challenge for the month of June was to exercise every day - HERE'S a Vlog I made about it.
I spent a lot of time in June reminiscing on old memories. I went through every single picture on my phone since 2011 and enjoyed looking back on my travels over the last few years. I also celebrated 4 years since graduating from UW and 3 years since I bought my first home (which I ended up selling last year). Check out the story that I wrote about it HERE.
July
At the beginning of July, I was feeling a little stir crazy, and the travel bug wouldn't leave me alone, so I planned a 4-day solo road trip around the Olympic Peninsula. I had an absolute blast with me, myself, and I. HERE'S a blog post I wrote about the trip, and HERE'S a vlog that I made. I went on a ton of hikes in July, which made my monthly challenge to drink a gallon of water every day a bit easier!
August
I decided to let my social media friends help me pick my August challenge. I gave 4 options, and the one with the most votes was to do a random act of kindness every day for a month. This was a fun one. HERE'S a vlog I made about it!
I made the most of my weekends in August, spending time in Seaside Oregon, Snoqualmie Falls, and hiking Tolmie Peak (twice). I LOVE summertime in the Pacific Northwest!
September
My challenge for September was to completely cut out TV, YouTube, and Netflix. This was surprisingly easy, especially considering that I spent about a third of the month on a road trip. Two friends and I visited Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. It was incredible. HERE'S a blog post with all the highlights from the trip, and HERE'S a Vlog I made about it. One of my favorite trips ever.
October
For the first full month of fall, I completed one of my favorite challenges to date: Yoga every day for a month. HERE'S a video I made about it!
I packed up my yoga mat and spent a week working remotely in Palm Springs, followed by a week in Lake Tahoe. We drove straight from Seattle to Los Angeles in one day. We were in the car for 18 hours, which is by FAR the longest I’ve ever spent in a car. Palm Springs was full of rest and relaxation, and Tahoe consisted of mountain biking, hiking, and hanging out by the lake. Here are some drone videos/photos that I shot: Los Angeles / Palm Springs / Lake Tahoe
The rest of the month was spent working on some big projects at work and enjoying some fall festivities. We made one of my favorite Theory videos EVER for Halloween - You have to watch it if you haven't already.
November
November is one of my favorite months of the year. It's a month full of good food, spending time with loved ones, and expressing gratitude for the many blessings in our lives. For my November Challenge, I wrote in my gratitude journal every single day. HERE is a Vlog I made about it.
November was also a month of celebrations. I celebrated my 26th birthday, Theory's 4-Year Anniversary, and Thanksgiving. We created our annual Theory Gives Thanks video, one of my favorite yearly traditions. I also spent a week in Mexico, where my family volunteered at Familias de la Esperanza. My nephew Easton and I had fun playing with my drone on the beach - check out this video we made of the sunset!
December
It was an action-packed finale to this whirlwind of a year. I ended 2020 by stopping to appreciate the insane beauty that marks the start and end of each day. Although there were many foggy days this month, it was nice taking a few minutes to watch the sunrise or sunset every day.
We also launched Beaker Collaborative, our new Coworking Community in Tacoma, as well as our PNW Strong Holiday Scavenger Hunt to support local businesses in Tacoma. I ended the month with my family for a very lowkey Christmas on Anderson Island. One of my favorite Christmases ever!
