We made it through 2021. Wow.
To me, 2021 felt long, but not tedious. On the one hand, there were no huge milestones or exciting trips; on the other hand, the days were filled with so much local adventure, beauty, and books that it made me feel like I lived at least 700+ of them.
At the end of each year, I reflect on my accomplishments and favourite experiences from the past 12 months. I note things that stretched me, inspired me, or were simply a joy to do.
Here are the things that I will forever remember 2021 by.
Trying golfing for the first time on my birthday. Outdoors. In January!
Skiing on the local mountains with ocean views.
Having more fun with fashion, including allowing myself to buy fun clothes, wear a hat, and own a red lipstick.
Experiencing snow in Vancouver for the first time. Watching it land over palm trees and blooming camellias in mid-February.
Camping by the ocean in the mountains in Porteau Cove Provincial Park.
I am proud to have written for Matador Network this year. It was exciting to get paid for my work, to learn to pitch articles to publications, and work with the editors once they have accepted a proposed project.
I also took a difficult copyediting class over the summer. Continuous learning is important to me and I am lucky to be able to take classes for free through my work.
I live near several beaches that I can walk to in 10-30 minutes. The mild climate made it possible to be on the beach from mid-April to late September. Sometimes I came to the beach three times a day in the summer.
I would call my Mom first thing in the morning and we would meet at the beach and bring breakfast with us. I would stop at the beach for a dip at the end of my run. I would return to the beach in the evening at sunset and want to end the day with a swim.
Time in the water was definitely prioritized this year. On Mother’s Day, Dwayne and I took our mothers kayaking in the ocean.
I bought a SUP and would paddle across lakes alongside Dwayne who wore his new wetsuit and started to train in open water for triathlons.
I would come with Dwayne to a local beach on gloomy autumn mornings and walk while watching him swim along the shore.
I swam in lakes and wild streams this summer. My favourite spot was this one where the Gold Creek enters Aluette Lake. On a camping trip, my Mom and I went skinny dipping in a lake one early morning because we forgot to wear our bathing suits and did not want to miss the opportunity to get in the water.
I can’t get over the fact that you can eat cups of blackberries in the summer for free in Vancouver. The blackberry bushes are basically local weeds and grow in many parts of the province.
We did not manage any long hikes this season, but I enjoyed small adventures to Grouse and Cypress mountains and the top of the Chief.
We climbed in Squamish (Area 44) and on the North Shore (Sully’s Hangout). I felt adventurous and led a 5’10A on my own at Sully’s.
Dwayne took me on a 50k bike ride to Horseshoe Bay and back. My entire body hurt, I gagged on some of the hills, and had to walk alongside my bike on the steepest parts. I definitely will invest in padded bike shorts for the future adventures on wheels.
Eating out on patios is something you can enjoy year-round in BC. We found this spot in an alleyway next to the Morning People Food Truck in Victoria.
I love being bundled up under a heater on a patio during a rainy day. My mom and I would go on long walks on the seawall year-round and often would have a bite at the Stanley Park Brewing or on a patio in Coal Harbour.
We enjoyed taking my brother on small trips around BC. We visited Victoria and Tofino this year. I love going to the island in part because we get to travel on a ferry!
I started a new job at the end of August — 13 months after moving to Vancouver. I put a lot of effort into the job search and it took me a long time to get hired. It’s at an institution and location that I have been very excited to work at and I get to be a part of a wonderful team. I also go to work in person most of the time and the experience helped me to get more settled in Vancouver. I explore new parts of the city on my commute and socialize with coworkers and clients in person.
I found an affordable community acupuncture spot in Vancouver and have been getting treatments here weekly since September.
I didn’t set out to read a lot this year, but still managed to finish 30 books by mid-December. I have two novels on the go right now and with a bit of extra down time over the holidays might be able to finish them before the end of the year. It has been a while since I enjoyed reading novels as much as I did this year. The standout titles for me were:
- The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman
- In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri
- Memorial: A Novel by Bryan Washington
- The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
- Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn’t Ours by Sarah Sentilles
At the end of the year, I got to complete a medical procedure that was a long time in the making. While the ultimate outcome of it is still in the uncertain future, it felt like a huge accomplishment to get this far at the end of 2021.
