What Will You Carry Into 2021?
2020 was a challenging year, but one that brought new hobbies, habits and self-reflection.
If you're like me, 2020 was both an incredibly challenging year, and one where I found strength and interest in new hobbies and ways of looking at the world.
I spent a lot of time hiking in local, urban parks instead of venturing further afield. Where normally I would race to an end destination for a big view, I found myself slowing down and enjoying all the little things I came across; the way water formed in reflective pearls on a leaf after rainfall, or the scent of a pine tree mixing with petrichor.
Stopping to admire the small things made me appreciate them, and my place in the world. It was a therapeutic way for me to conquer a year that seemed entirely out of my control.
On hikes in 2020, I'd often carry my camera and take my time framing the small things I found. Photo by Erika Haugen-Goodman.
As 2021 approaches I find myself reflecting more on the hobbies and habits I picked up this year. Some were good, some were bad, but I'm making a conscious effort to carry the good ones into 2021.
I want to keep stopping to smell the flowers, the rain, the pine trees. I want to keep enjoying the little things and the big things both. I want to let the trails I love continue to be a place of healing and solace for me in a world that sometimes feels too turbulent to understand. And most of all, I want to share that love with friends and family, because if 2020 has taught me anything, it's that I value the people in my life far more than I could have imagined.
Admiring the little things on hikes helped me find my place in a year that felt chaotic. Photo by Erika Haugen-Goodman.
Maybe 2021 isn't the year for big resolutions or goals, but instead carrying over the good things we learned and habits we picked up this year. Let's tackle 2021 together with a renewed optimism that builds on the things we found love and joy in throughout 2020. Maybe it's a new hobby like birding, or photography. Or maybe you found that trails offer you a chance to clear your mind and think in a different way than you would otherwise.
What did you find along the way that you'll be carrying over into the new year?
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