What was ok about 2020 for you?

[EwwwwDavid]

I got to go on holiday. Massively lucky. We just got to go to Spain when lockdown eased and things were ok. It was the best 2 weeks ever!

I work for the NHS so have not been furloughed at all and my DH has had to cope with the home schooling which has been a nightmare.

I guess my AIBU is was there any part of 2020 that wasn't awful?

Finally being able to WFH. It has made no difference at all to doing my actual job, which could be done anywhere at anytime, but I’m saving hundreds of pounds a month on petrol, sandwiches, coffee etc. More importantly, I’m also saving more than 30 hours per month in commuting time. My work / life balance has never been so good, and there is no way I’m going back to a pointless, time & money wasting 40 mile daily commute.

We moved to Spain in the lockdown ( March 23rd) . We had our house there already but still had some things in the UK to bring over when all hell broke loose. We were stranded in France for 7 weeks in the Pyrenees. When we finally got over the border into Spain (May 11th) it was possibly the best day of my life . We are now fully settled in our dream home in our dream country. I think I can deal with anything that life throws at me now . We never gave up in those 7 weeks, I emailed and spoke to every consulate in the area . Pursued every angle and finally we had a single sentence in an email that was our ticket home

We commented yesterday that our dc seem so much closer, their favourite treat this holiday has been allowed a 'sleepover' sharing a room, now they don't want to move out again!

We have explored the local area, found more time for the simple things like playing board games, gardening together and just enjoying each other's company.

There have been many cons but right now the sun is shining and I have hope for this new year.

I managed to take a fantastic holiday at the start of the year and that has kept me going through all the subsequent holiday cancellations - just!

I got a fantastic new job in Feb 2020 and then from March have been WFH which I absolutely bloody love.

I have lost two stone and totally revamped my wardrobe.

Also saved about £10k which will enable me to retire a little earlier.

Obviously there have been shit aspects too, like losing loved ones to Covid, but it's nice to have a thread where we can share the positives of 2020

Yes lockdown was hard, but I genuinely enjoyed having more time at home with ds1 (7) while the schools were shut. I had ds2 in Aug2019 and it gave the two of them the chance to really bond, their relationship after this year is amazing, they are really close.

I realised - after more than 20 years in our current home - that we live in a lovely location, with absolutely great neighbours. I've become good friends with people who live within 200 yards of me, but who I never met until 2020 (mostly as we were walking in nearby heathland and woods as our daily exercise.)

We were thinking of moving. Now we are not.

I’ve been very fortunate in that all my family members survived 2020

I spent much of 2028/2019 very depressed but reached out for proper help so my mental health actually improved

I got a stable secure job and am lucky to have really nice colleagues

Paid the mortgage off, had two holidays, one abroad and one in the uk, managed to save a considerable amount of money and became a grandma.

Had baby DS in July, healthy and lovely.

Spent the most time we’ll likely ever spend together. Precious moments with DC we’ll never have again. Taught them to ride a bike in the garden, it was always something we put off before.

My divorce came through (albeit about five months later than it should have as the courts shut, but I got there in the end); met my lovely boyfriend and we are very happy

Liked spending time with my husband and family and went on a few holidays. It was very quiet and lovely, the pools were empty.

I bought a property for the first time in my life

I’ve learnt to appreciate where I live a lot more. I always thought it was a pretty nice place to live, but after multiple lockdowns with no non-essential car travel allowed, I have a renewed appreciation for how lucky I am to live where I do.

Also, I’ve been feeding the birds in my garden all year long and it’s now absolutely heaving with birds. It will give me something to look at during the current lockdown!

The majority of my sons first year of life.

I loved 2020.

Lost two stone in weight
Spent time with DC that I wouldn’t have
Started a new job on the cusp of lockdown and now WFH as is DH. Extended family all well including elderly DGP. But have missed travel and friends.

The birth of my 5th grandchild ❤

• we've spent lots of time as a family and have been reassured to find that we do actually really like each other!
• local friends have been wonderful, it has felt like a genuine community. My family lives far away so this has been comforting. When DH became very sick with COVID many neighbours (who saw the ambulance at the house) came to check on the kids and I and brought presents/cards. Friends shopped for us when we were isolating. I've done loads of one-to-one walks with friends and neighbours and I think that I actually know them better now than I ever did.

Volunteered for a local cause through lockdown #1 and realised I hated my job because it just seemed utterly pointless when I have the skills to help other people as well as earn a living.
So I've changed jobs and although it doesn't on paper earn as much as my last one, my mental health is so much better, I feel like I'm actually doing something worthwhile and my new employers treat their staff so much better.
I'm gradually paying off the debts that I ran up during furlough because I now have a more secure job that actually pays me the hours I work, and I'm not some kind of exhausted harridan rushing around all the time, trying to fit everything in and getting yelled at for my troubles.

Well, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in Feb. 2020 which was shit but it was detected incredibly early, treatment was swift, no need for chemo, just radiotherapy and now Tamoxifen for 5 years. The silver lining was I got a freebie breast reduction and lift, which I'd wanted for years (was a droopy 34G). Boobs are now better than they were when I was 21

My diagnosis also made me fall even deeper in love with my DH, which I didn't think possible. He held my hand through every appointment and always somehow managed to make me laugh. He doesn't say much, but on the days when I felt I couldn't go on he quietly picked me up and carried me.

DH took a gamble on buying into a new business at the end of 2019, never thinking much would come of it. In 2020 it went stratospheric! DH landed a huge contract in May which means we will never have to think about money again. I am still in shock but feel so incredibly proud of him and what he's achieved

Despite all the school stress and shitiness, DD got all straight 8s and 9s in her (12) GCSEs. She worked hard and deserved every single one

I've only ever fallen out with 2 friends. One of them got back in touch after 18 years, to say she'd always regretted the falling out and could we make a new start! We'd been friends since the first day of primary school, so had so much history together and a million memories. Really pleased we're back in touch

DH and I managed to get away to Cumbria for 5 days for my 50th. We stayed in a gorgeous hotel, with a stream running right under our window, it was so peaceful - it was like our 2nd honeymoon

peaceanddove

Your post brought tears to my eyes!

What am amazing woman you are 😍

Had one holiday very early on, and ds had a trip to Italy (not ski-ing) before things went mad.

Offered a job with a firm I'd been freelancing for, so had regular income (though they reduced my hours during lockdown but then increased them again).

WFH is good and I like it, although I am finding it a bit dull now.

Online events are good as you can attend from anywhere and you can save time and money travelling.

Oh and one thing - the friends who really matter have been much more present in 2020. We had video chats and messaged each other a lot more - it showed me who my real friends really are.

DH has been wfh and got to spend time with our DC properly, we’ve become closer as a family as life slowed down.
I’m a key worker so I’ve been out working most days but my time at home has been less stressful as all the extra curricular stuff stopped.
We also built an extension on our house which was finished just before Christmas and I love it. We have so much more space and we aren’t tripping over each other.

@Namechange8471

peaceanddove

Your post brought tears to my eyes!

What am amazing woman you are 😍

You're very kind, but I'm very far from being amazing. I do have an amazing DH and DCs, though

My DD being born!