2020 Wrap Up Part 1

Dear Kenzie,

You heard a saying in 2019 that stuck with you in 2020: do more things you want to see in your memories.

You had goals this year, plans you were pursuing. A lot of these things were cancelled or impossible due to COVID-19 hitting the U.S. hard in March. Regardless, you were determined to make this year as beautiful as possible.

You rang it in by finally celebrating New Year’s with Sam after, like, 4 years of dating. You got hired full-time at your company. You and Sam started looking for an apartment. You had to tell your mom and dad and grandma that you and Sam were looking for an apartment. Together. For the two of you. And no, you're not pregnant.

You reported sexual harassment.

You started pointe and you love it. Miss Kelly and Brittni were there when you got your first pair of pointe shoes at Dance N Tees.

Lockdown started on March 13th. On March 20th, you woke up at 5 a.m. to shop for food in case the U.S. enforced an even stricter lockdown. You are very lucky you're agile because you maneuvered your way through a crowd like 👏 no 👏 other 👏 to get toilet paper. You made someone laugh at the checkout, which felt good.

You temporarily dyed the tips of your hair pink.... Oof.

You started teaching dance via Zoom and made a “studio” in your parents’ basement. Your dance students made you one of the most emotional video to thank you for your effort and show you how much they’ve grown. You helped put together a Zoom recital week with a wonderful team of women with so much love in their hearts. You are right where you belong.

You and Sam found an apartment! You each have very different ideas of how it is supposed to be decorated, but you are figuring it out. Brianna asked you to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. Of course, you said YES!

Ranger, after a lot of discussions, hugs, kisses, treats, and pets, was put down on July 7th, 2020.

You cancelled your ladies’ trip to Vegas in the beginning of the year, so instead you went to New Buffalo with your girls. You got very sunburnt but it was a very needed trip.

You got a kitten! His name is Milo, you found him on Facebook and picked him up in a Walgreens parking lot. He was 3 pounds at his first vet visit.

You started teaching dance again at The Ballet Box. You love it there.

You did a water machine photoshoot with Ron McKinney – it was your favorite photoshoot you’ve ever done. You did a photoshoot workshop with him and David Hoffman (AKA @sharkcookie from Instagram). You modeled for the Moda Muneca 2020 Lookbook in Milwaukee and you SLAYED your outfit.

You turned 24 years old.

You kept working and teaching and adjusting. Devin and Peyton are thriving at college, and they're both officially be smarter than you. Your mom started working at an apple orchard and a gym. She is happier, and the apples are amazing. You and your dad try to have Jimmy Johns for lunch every other Friday. It’s becoming a favorite tradition, and you savor the time you have your parents to yourself. Especially because you’re starting to ask the hard questions.

You took a class at Indie Media Studios in Chicago and started teaching there occasionally. You go to a funeral. Then you get the flu.

J-EFFIN-K, it's COVID-19 🙃 You and Sam quarantine from November 12 through November 28. You celebrate Thanksgiving with just the two of you and eat way too much food.

Aaaand this brings us to where you are right now: sitting in bed on your last day of quarantine, tearing up bc 2020 has been a roller coaster to say the least, writing down everything you were able to do this year despite the world being not-so-normal for the past 9 months.

But look at all this. A lot of your big plans weren't possible this year, and you were forced - in the very best way - to fall even more in love with what's right in front of you.

You were PRESENT, and that's something you sometimes struggle with.

In my 2019 recap, I mention that the ONE thing I wanted to do in 2020 was to live bigger and deeper no matter what I do, where I am, and who I'm with. So I had to work on living in the moment, on living slower. And by doing that, I feel like I was able to make the little moments count for something bigger.

I'm laughing until it hurts, loving with less fear, asking more questions, reading more books, having the hard conversations, and dancing - all the time.

The worlds' problems will not end in 2021. The difference for me, though, is that I'm not letting life fly by like it used to. I'm absorbing the good, the bad, the ugly and turning all this into a beautiful life.

To 2021.