2021, week 1: hindsight is 2020

January

In November of 2019 I applied and was accepted for a summer program in South Africa, focusing on environmental studies. In preparation for that I began researching the sites we would visit. Somehow I came across the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB). When I discovered that I could "adopt" a.k.a. sponsor a penguin for a year, I jumped right on it! They keep a thorough database of the animals available to sponsor (not just penguins). Each profile includes the general age, location, and injuries that the animal had when rescued. Please see the picture below for the sweet penguin that I sponsored during 2020. I kept a picture of Love (what I "named" her) in my work office. 

February

As more people learned about my book and as I more actively spread the word I was able to sell more copies. Several copies were also donated to local charities and fundraisers.

March

Spring Break brought a much-needed respite. I was taking 18 credits, working an average of 28 hours a week, and was the managing editor for Dixie State University's literary journal The Southern Quill.

A day trip to Zion National Park with my brother brought the literal breath of fresh air that I needed. I had no idea that by the end of the week lock-downs and quarantines would sweep the globe.

April

My university and work environment changed quickly and drastically. No classes met in-person and all assignments were done virtually. I did not get the chance to say goodbye to most of my peers. Most of my classes were specific to my major, creative writing, and easily transitioned to assignments being turned in virtually.

Social activities ceased.

I held my first virtual girls' night. Three households participated. We each ordered a cookie decorating kit from Kneaders Bakery. It was a fun virtual night, with loads of laughter and a few frosting fights.

May

I worked remotely for the entire month of May. All of my roommates moved out. The only social interaction I got was weekly work meetings. I am forever grateful for co-workers that care about emotional well-being. 

Also, the A/C in my apartment quit working; maintenance and the apartment manager kept strange hours and did not respond to numerous calls, texts, emails, and complaints.

June

I was able to go back to work in-person! A lot of precautions were put in place. Therefore, there was little in-person overlap with my co-workers. 

I lived alone the entire summer, without A/C.

I found joy in the simple things, such as "hatching" a penguin. Spoiler: it wasn't as exciting as I expected. Honestly, the green penguin was quite ugly!

July

I hadn't seen my brother since Spring Break. We went for a drive and enjoyed nature.

My birthday was this month. I set up my Christmas tree and put all my birthday presents under it. It was the perfect Christmas in July.

August

My A/C was FINALLY fixed! And I got new roommates.

The night before fall semester started there was flash flooding throughout St. George. Many apartment complexes were affected. At my apartment complex almost all of the 1st floor apartments took on 3+ feet of water. The residents evacuated and were put up in the college-owned inn. A few weeks later demo finally started.

Original talk indicated that management hoped to have renovations done by Thanksgiving so that residents could move back in. However, it is now January 7th, 2021, and renovations still have not begun.

September

I decided to attend all of my classes remotely. Only one class was actually meeting in person, so I decided to make things easier on myself and use only one mode of class instruction. It really helped.

My creativity grew more as I started dabbling with ideas for YouTube videos (yet to be executed, but planning has been fun), stories, and social media engagement.

October

August and September both felt about 12 weeks long. However, October 1st hit, I blinked, and suddenly it was Halloween!

School and work kept me busy!

November

The leaves finally started to turn color! However, the weather was still warm.

This year it was just my brother and I for Thanksgiving, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I finally took the time to slow down and enjoy time in the kitchen again. I also made turkey enchiladas with Thanksgiving leftovers. I think that's going to become a tradition for me!

The rest of the month flew by and before I knew it there were just 31 days left in 2020.

December

The rest of the semester flew by. Finals went great and I got a Christmas miracle. Throughout my college career I have focused more on learning content than getting A's in all my classes. For my senior capstone class this semester I maintained an 89%. I knew that my final project would keep me in that grade percentage, but then I realized that I had A's in all my other classes. Well, I looked at my final transcript and discovered that I ended up getting straight A's last semester! Whoa!

Christmas, like Thanksgiving, was simple and I spent it with my brother. We exchanged gifts, phoned the family, and then went to the movie theater to see Wonder Woman 1984.

I didn't work December 23 through the rest of the year. I spent the time at home and enjoyed some tranquility.

I'm not sure what's in store for 2021. Obviously there's still a pandemic, there's social unrest, and the upcoming inauguration. The only thing I know for sure? I want to focus on being grateful and intentional this year.

What did you learn in 2020?

What are some of your goals/resolutions/intentions for 2021?

Love,

D. J. Lathrop