Reflect, Review…

Well so much for that, 2020.

Once again, here we are: but now it's 2021.  As with most of the plans that most of the world had for 2020, my hopes for this this blog didn't go as envisioned.  I got settled in my new job, and started heading out a small trips as I learned the ropes.  I geared up for tales of finding the adventures wherever I went, and lugging my camera to capture it all.  I was excited to weave in past travel experiences into my ongoing life lessons, and cultivate enthusiasm and desire for solo travel and photography - not only for myself but for others.  But then... well, you know...

Did I try to conjure up some content?  Kinda.  Would it have been the perfect opportunity to write about those past trips and inner reflections while manifesting those future hopes and dreams?  Sure.  But as they say: Hindsight is 2020.

To be fully transparent: a big reason I didn't blog during the pandemic stemmed from an overwhelming awareness of my privilege.  At the time it felt wrong on many levels for me-  a fully employed, healthy, white woman - to be spouting out stories of beautiful landscapes and my latest camera gear.  Maybe it could have served as a pleasant escape from reality, yet the energy of the year just didn't inspire me to try.  There still is some residual discomfort as I move forward... as well as an immense gratitude and keen awareness of my worldly privileges.

So... it's a new year, and despite the notion that resolutions are a little passé, I still think the new year is a time to do what I am coining the Four Rs: Reflect, Review, Reset and Renew.  Reflect on the past year with gratitude, review your hopes that maybe didn't come to fruition (see: 2020), reset those intentions that may have fizzled or gone astray, and renew the manifestations of what you want in the year ahead.

Spoiler Alert: One of those intentions for me is writing and getting back to these blogs. So let's try again, in this two-part entry to kick off Round Two.

Reflect, Review

Sitting here, January 2021, I reflect not only on what was and wasn't for 2020, but also how this month is so different than Januarys of the recent past.   Several years ago, I committed to taking two solo vacations a year, and heading somewhere tropical in January has been the excellent way to kick it off.  There was the yoga retreat to Costa Rica, where the goal was re-connection to both myself and others.  These were fulfilled in ways I didn't expect, and that opened my eyes to what one can learn about oneself when temporarily leaving behind their real world.

The following January provided a once in a lifetime opportunity to head to Puerto Rico, thanks to some friends that seem to always have the luck of the draw on their sides.  I had the good fortune to see the musical Hamilton while in Puerto Rico, with Lin-Manuel Miranda reprising his role as the main character.  I took a few days before meeting up with everyone to explore the island as well as Vieques, and that time alone helped reinforce my desire for a full solo road trip later that year.

Last January, I wanted to head back to a retreat, but not so much for the yogi experience as for the surfing.  So I found a yoga/surf retreat in Panama that fit the bill, and would also allow me gorgeous scenery to practice some photography.  A lot of growth also came from this experience, and I headed into 2020 ready for whatever was in store...

But was I really ready for what was really in store? No one was.

January 2020 actually was off to a great start, jet-setting to Santa Barbara, California and Miami, Florida after spending the week in Panama.  I made some tough decisions on my career path, and settled into my new job - which requires regional travel.  I reflect now on how different things would have been for me had I made different decisions -and with the global twists and turns of 2020, I probably would not have fared as well as I did.

In review, I can say that I fared well - and do so with a lot of gratitude.  My job transitioned to stay at home duties which allowed me the safety and security not everyone had.  I was able to even take a few getaways to the mountains for a change of "work from home" scenery.  I got that second vacation in the COVID lull of early Fall, and stayed healthy all year.  I got myself a new camera that I am still trying to figure out, and am growing more comfortable as I continue to learn.  I can easily say that my shooting has vastly improved on each trip I have taken, and am excited for the continued growth that is ahead.

Growth not only as a photographer and a blogger, but more importantly as a person, intentions I plan to set (plus a few others) for the year ahead.

... Reset: Renew