Best of 2020
I can’t believe it’s time for my end of year recap. When I sat down to write last year’s recap I was so hopeful for a new decade, growth, and change. Little did I know the wild ride I was in for.
In all honesty, it seems a little weird to title this blog post “Best of 2020” when 2020 felt like a shit show. It’s hard to talk about this year without acknowledging the Coronavirus pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the election and how our lives are forever changed because of it. Even though this year has been traumatic and emotionally draining, there were so many blessings, lessons, and opportunities to grow.
So, 2020 … you were difficult, to say the least. You pushed me to my breaking point and forced me to get uncomfortable multiple times. But you also gave me a clearer vision of what’s important in life.
I am walking into 2021 cautious yet hopeful and I’m looking forward to continuing on this path of gratitude, creativity, and growth.
Without further adieu, here’s my 2020 year in review:
The Best Moments of 2020
1. We Got Married!
Marrying Angel was the highlight of my year. We held a romantic and intimate wedding ceremony in the same church we met in all those years ago. Planning your own wedding is stressful, but planning your wedding during a pandemic is a thousand times more stressful. However, all of the grief I felt after postponing my dream wedding melted away after I realized that our marriage was more important than the wedding. That realization doesn’t mean it hurt less, but it did make it easier to move on. After the wedding, we booked a few days at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa for our honeymoon; A much-needed staycation to celebrate our new adventure as Mr. and Mrs. Orozco.
2. Prioritizing My Mental Health and Personal Growth
This year I continued prioritizing my mental health and personal growth by leaving a job I was unhappy at for an organization whose values aligned with mine. When Hawaii went on lockdown and I was sent to work from home because of the pandemic, it became challenging to prioritize those things because I slipped back into a trauma I didn’t realize was traumatizing at the time. Once I stopped fighting it and allowed myself the space to get through it and heal, I was able to get back on track with prioritizing my mental health.
Here are my favorite wellness blog posts I wrote this year:
⊹ The 5 Things I Do Before Checking My Phone in The Morning
⊹ 4 Mindful Shifts I Made to Improve My Health as a Social Media Manager
⊹ How To Self-Care Post-Election
3. Continuing to Explore and Expand The Sunday Morning Blog
This year has been my most creative year yet! Working [my corporate job] from home has forced me to prioritize work-life balance forcing me to make time to do more things that make me happy. I’m excited to share with you what I have planned for The Sunday Morning Blog in 2021.
The Sunday Morning Blog Fun Facts!
⊹ This year I published 30 new blog posts and 2 videos. That’s 21 more blog posts and 2 more videos than last year!
⊹ I’m launching my first freebie next month and the subject is something very close to my heart. Sign up for my newsletter to learn more.
⊹ Your favorite blog posts from the year were: Wedding Resources for Brides Planning Their Own Wedding, We’re Married! (Plus, How We Planned a Wedding Around a Global Pandemic), and Why I’m Glad We Didn’t Get Married According to My Timeline
If you stuck around for this entire recap, THANK YOU! I love this space so much and your support means the world to me. If there’s anything you should take away from this post it’s this:
Without challenge, there’s no growth.
Healing is not linear, it ebbs and flows.
You are loved and worthy.
Wishing you all the health and happiness in the new year.
Love always,
Jessika
