2021 has been an interesting year. I started it off by celebrating my first anniversary in Jamaica, during a pandemic when the country we reside in said you should only travel if it’s essential. Well, my husband is a bit of a rebel, and he had already been planning to celebrate his 50th birthday in Jamaica, and when he has his mind set on something, nothing can stop him. 😉
Our trip got cut short as the covid numbers continued to rise, and the federal government asked airlines to stop flying to the Caribbean and Mexico. We came back and isolated for 14 days, surviving on the kindness of family members and food delivery services.
The trip was terrific, even though it got cut short. It allowed us to buy beachfront property, which has always been a goal since we plan to be snowbirds and escape winter.
To make our dream a reality, 2021 saw us make significant changes, including renovating our basement and then moving back into our condo so we could rent out both floors of our home. It was bittersweet to leave the house we had done so much work on four years ago, but we know that making this sacrifice will bring us closer to realizing our dream of building our home in Jamaica.
2020 had left me unsure about the future of my career. I have always loved writing, and during the lockdown, I decided to see if I could find some freelance writing work. By the end of January 2021, I was hired as a freelance writer, and a new journey as a professional writer began.
Now that I have almost a full year of doing writing gigs, I can honestly say that I’m enjoying it. My friends joke that I will be a great game show contestant with all the knowledge I’ve soaked up researching my assignments. I joke that I feel like I’m getting paid to go to school: I get assignments, do the research and submit it, and then get paid. As a long-time book nerd and lover of all things academic, it’s a pretty sweet deal! 🙂
The plan is to break ground in 2022 and start building our home in Jamaica. I’m excited to get started on the project, but I’m also excited to see where my writing goes. The inspiration bug has bitten me to write a fiction book, and someone even suggested writing screenplays. I’m not sure what direction I’ll head in first, but I’m excited by the possibilities.
As the pandemic wraps up its second year, I know how frustrated and disillusioned many people are. I’m grateful that this time has allowed me to really slow down and look at the direction I was headed and make changes that felt right. I’ve chosen not to pay too much attention to the news because I know that focusing too much on what’s happening will only distract me from the things I want to do. There’s no point in filling my head with stuff I don’t have control over.
As we head into the final stretch of 2021, I’m taking time to reflect on the last 12 months and get ready for the year ahead. I know what I hope to achieve in 2022, and I’m looking forward to the surprises and new opportunities that come my way as well. What about you? ♥