My 2020 Year in Review

2020 is for sure my year of A D V E N T U R E! Sounds ironic, right? Well, it’s most likely all of ours too… Maybe we can keep this a little more simple, with some of my best highlights of the year. 

J A N A U A R Y

One of my birthday gifts was the Chicago Blackhawks vs Florida Panthers game and it was the most exciting night ever. I brought my boyfriend and we wore our favorite jerseys! Although hockey is a new sport to me, since I am from sunny South Florida, it’s an experience I would love to repeat.

F E B R U A R Y

I’ve always said that my view on success is never about the money but about the way you make a difference in other’s lives. With 5,000+ volunteers in two days, North Central College hosted their annual Feed the Need event and packed 1,049,760 meals, which will feed 2,876 kids for ONE WHOLE year! I brought my family to be a part of this experience because they share my passion for giving back and helping others too. It was an amazing event! Peak into my weekend with the short video I created of my experience.

M A R C H

I will never forget the last staycation I had before coming home for the pandemic. My siblings came to visit me with new friends from home and it was the best ‘home away from home’ I had had in a while. It all came to an end when Chicago called it quits on March 17th. So after some hard conversations, I had to go home with my family and quarantine in Miami. 

A P R I L

I started my #FoodieAdventures and making messes in the kitchen when I felt more motivated to do something. I’m so glad I came home, because spending time with family has definitely been missed. We hadn’t lived in the same household since high school. 

M A Y

My little brother graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He got his dream job and I couldn’t be more proud of him! We made his virtual graduation extremely special and had front row seats to everything!

J U N E

My 18-week program started on June 8th for the Chicago Marathon on October 11th. Everything was cancelled July 13th. I couldn’t believe it, so I took a week off and decided to still run my half marathon but virtually. Tune in for July 18th!

J U L Y 

One of the most relaxing months but very covid-deadly for us in Miami, Florida. It is scary living or even thinking that you are basically living in another version of Wuhan. A part from that, I have been training for my marathon. By July 18th, our schedule would say 13 mile-run. So I decided to do a double whammy and just run my half marathon virtually. It had been pouring all night before, leading into all day; so my running buddy and I decided to run the half marathon during the week. Sunday, July 19th, everything changed. I found out I was diagnosed with a condition I never thought possible.

A U G U S T

A whole bunch of emotions because my boyfriend flew just to pick me up and drive up to the Windy City for school. It is also my last year in my graduate school year, so I’m extremely excited for what’s to come! I met the two graduate assistants I will be working with and they are truly amazing. I would not have had such a great semester without them.

S E P T E M B E R

Don’t we all love wearing masks everywhere we go? As our first out-of-state trip (besides Miami, Florida), we visited some of my college friends throughout our road trip to Michigan and Indiana. I had an absolute blast! Shoutout to Victoria, Joey and Patrick!

O C T O B E R

For our one year anniversary, we went to Wisconsin!!! *Give me all the cheese forever* The pandemic has truly taken a toll in life and I’ve enjoyed exploring with my boyfriend. He surprised me in the cutest and romantic way- it’s like I got all gushy again.

N O V E M B E R

Seeing life outside of my four walls and exploring the city has become so rare now, that I cherish every single moment now. Felt more like a staycation, but well worth it. Thank you Ari, for visiting and bringing me pastelitos… Except you forgot the croquetas.

D E C E M B E R

As I turn into my quarter of a life crisis, there is so much wisdom that my younger self wants to offer. This month has been a whirlwind of everything being virtual to driving home with my sister to being home to finally being around my fam and friends. I’m incredibly happy to be home for the holidays and patiently waiting for the new year to start!

I’m sure we’ve all been through it because of the pandemic, but try to think of the good that has happened! There’s so much to look forward to, so 2021 will be my year of… *drum roll please*

G R O W T H

Let’s do this together!!!