Moments of Joy from 2020

I know 2020 was one of the most difficult years globally we have had to face in a very long time. No one could foresee it and very few were fully prepared, especially in the UK. We have learnt how to adapt and change our lives to hopefully keep others safe until the pandemic is fully resolved and while there were plenty of lows in 2020 there were also some amazing highs as well as a new appreciation for what we have on our doorstep.

While 2020 was also hard for many not only health-wise but also financially, mentally, socially and affecting everyone in some way I also don't want to forget the moments of joy we had despite all of this because there really were some great times and I think it's easy to overlook these when we think back to 2020.

So here are a few of our personal moments of happiness within the chaos of what was 2020 and I hope you had similar moments too. 

Before Covid Hit

There was a short period at the start of 2020 when we still (unknowingly) had it really good and luckily we managed to squeeze a few fun mini road trips in before the lockdowns hit in the March. Including our annual trip to West Wales and exploring the National Botanical Gardens and a History inspired trip to Chester to check out all the Roman Ruins. We also started the year with a lovely walk up Sugar Loaf Mountain in the Brecon Beacons and watched the sunset, as well as our usual Castle adventures (slowly ticking off all the Welsh Castles).

During the first lockdown

The first lockdown definitely felt like the most monumental one (although the Welsh National Lockdown we are currently in right now over Christmas also has that feeling) and we very quickly had to learn to live with restrictions such as only being able to go for walks once a day initially and stay within a 5 mile radius. But this meant we quickly discovered what amazing places walks we had on our doorstep, including a fantastic mountain summit hike and like everyone else we felt forever grateful for having a garden and outdoor space. We also spent Easter under lockdown which was rather interesting but also very family-focused and on the topic of family, I have to say my boys where incredibly understanding of not seeing their grandparents in order to keep them safe. 

A strange summer

Summer was a weird and wonderful time, we had really good weather for one and while there was to some degree a sense of normality we were also very aware things were not normal. Masks, social distancing, still not seeing family, limited social time, zoom calls, all of these had no entered our lives. So we focused on being outdoors as much as possible. We went wild swimming together and explored parts of the Wye Valley on my SUP board, as well as some canoeing, sunny days skateboarding together and my eldest also tried his hand at surfing. The one big "outing" for me was also an early birthday session at The Wave in Bristol which is an artificial surfing wave and it was amazing. 

Back in Lockdown

The regained freedom we had in Summer didn't last long in Wales, especially as my area of Wales went into local lockdown in the middle fo September and we have been under some sort of restrictions since then. But we are learning to live and thrive regardless while still taking all the precautions we need to keep others safe. Even though we spent lots of time outdoors this year we never ate in a cafe, pub or restaurant since the pandemic started, we have socially distanced all year, the kids have been home since March and we always wear our masks, wash hands and use common sense. 

Here's to hopefully a more positive 2021 all round but the one thing 2020 has taught me is how adaptable we can be and that joy can be found in nearly all situations.