I’ll skip all the “what a year!” talk because we’ve heard that enough, and we know what a year it’s been. Unexpected, unimaginable, unprecedented, and yet, here we are! Alive (if you’re reading this) and grateful to be here (hopefully).

With high hopes of exploring Minneapolis once the snow melted, and landing the job I set my heart on, and even finding an unexpected love the minute I stopped looking, I had a great feeling about 2020. 3 months in, I had to adjust my plans drastically, and for a stubborn woman like me, adjustments to unexpected change aren’t always easy. I’ve wrestled with new-to-me feelings of anxiety and depression, and hurtful doubt in the God I had built my life upon.

All of this weighed so heavily on me that even when things did start to get a little better - Minnesota beginning to open up, finally receiving and accepting the job offer, moving into the city - I still had so little energy and passion for this space in me that, in order to take care of myself, I needed to step back and give that process all I had. I’m still doing that and it’s tough sometimes, but I’m here, I’m alive, and I’m so so grateful for all that I still have - a stable job, an apartment that I can call my home, and a cozy handful of healthy and supportive loved ones around me that I can see on a regular basis (from a distance and masked, that is).

With that, I wanted to share some happiness from the last few months while I was gone. Here comes a photo and memory dump. Enjoy, my friends. ❤️

I moved into my very own first apartment! Check out the mini tour here, and come back next week for a much-needed updated tour with all the new furnishings, including a TV and bar/coffee cart. I’m living in Loring Park, with a gorgeous view of downtown Minneapolis, a couple of great neighbors, and my favorite brewery just around the corner. Yes, Minneapolis is very different right now, but I’m still very happy here.

But wait - before the apartment came the job! You can read more about that here. I work for a corporate wellness network called LifeStart, which is based in Chicago, and I work on-site at Fifth Street Towers in downtown Minneapolis as the Community Manager. Here, I’m in charge of planning events and boosting tenant engagement with and within the building. I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work on a team surrounded by inspiring, encouraging, and like-minded individuals who provide me opportunities to learn and grow every single day. Jenna, to my left, manages our fitness center and has been working in this building for almost four years now. Our tenants know and love her so so much, and I’m grateful to work by her side!

Because I worked in an office from June through November, I meal-prepped A LOT. Like, every week, and sometimes more than that. My go-lunch is this: roasted veggies, seared chicken breast, mixed greens, and some sort of dressing, dip, cheese, etc. It’s so tasty, so simple, and so satisfying. And, it’s quite pretty, if you ask me.

I made a friend! This is Addie - we met at work and became friends instantly. Instantly! We’ve been there for each other through plenty of unexpected ups and downs over the last few months. It’s the kind of friendship two people are very lucky to share.

Mission Become a Regular at My Local Coffee Shop accomplished! Jenna and I are frequent visitors of our Caribou Coffee shop. Pro tip: join the rewards program. The points add up quickly, and when you forget your wallet on one of those days and NEED coffee, the points will save you. Also, can we take a second to appreciate those shimmery buildings in the background?! That’s my office! Gah, I’m so lucky.

My favorite meal with my favorite man. Red Cow has some of theeeeeee best burgers I’ve ever had. I’ve tried a few on the menu, and now I always always always rely on a burger that, terribly unfortunately, is not on their menu at the moment. I just checked the website so I could provide the correct name, and didn’t see it listed. How sad! It’s a juicy burger topped with creamy bleu cheese and sweet apricot jam. Pair it with sweet potato crinkle plank fries, a nice crisp cider, and you’ve got yourself quite a meal.

One of my favorite places in Minneapolis - Lakes and Legends. ❤️I’ll admit - I do feel a bit strange expressing so much love for a brewery, but you’ll understand where I’m coming from after your first visit. A welcoming, fun team of staff members and master brewers, a wide open taproom that has adapted so well to the demands of maintaining a healthy and successful business during a pandemic, and of course, a rotating tap selection of beers crafted by hand. This brewery is the definition of community here in this neighborhood. And it has made Friday nights in 2020 feel somewhat normal. You can find me here once or twice a week (or, when stuck at home, with a L&L crowler that I picked up in the taproom).

What better way to follow than with a photo of the pizza-slinging food truck I fell in love with (not an exaggeration) during my first visit to L&L?! Blue Fire Pizza Truck - you guys. It doesn’t get better than this. The three guys crammed in the truck work hard to craft these incredible, crispy-crusted, cheesy-topped pizzas that I will forever adore and… well, quite honestly, stalk on social media. It’s a food truck - that’s what one must do!

Perhaps the most exciting event of 2020 - finally obtaining my personal trainer certification on October 25th! Years in the making, this certification felt so so good to finally hold in my own two hands. I love cooking and baking, but this is where my heart is. Training, learning to adapt to new stimuli, challenging my body and mind, and someday soon, walking alongside others as they do the same to achieve their goals.

I VOTED. I walked out of the polling location around the corner from my apartment feeling empowered and important for one of the first times all year. This feeling was unlike any other. And yes, I cried. It’s me - come on.

I also made this lunch approximately 17 million times - roasted sweet potato (or whatever the white ones are, technically) over mixed greens with seared sausage (here’s my favorite brand), topped with crumbled bleu cheese and homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It’s a bowl of perfectly combined sweet, salty, and tangy flavors with all sorts of textures. It’s my perfect lunch, and that makes my work-prep routine so much easier every week. I know exactly what I’m packing for lunch and I know it will keep me feeling satisfied and energized to power through the rest of the day.

I think I’ve taken more daily walks since March this year than I have in my entire lifetime, and I bet I’m only one of many who can say that. Look how beautiful these winter walks are, even without snow yet! I can’t say I’m too happy about the absence of snow, but it is what it is, and it’s still beautiful outside.

We did, however, get snow dumped on us back in October and November! And speaking of beauty - my goodness! The sunlight reflecting off the snow on these white mornings lit up my whole apartment and it was just marvelous. I cannot wait for this to happen again.

This was both a surprise to many and a big accomplishment for me - I bought a new TV AND set it up all by myself! Technically, the TV didn’t require much hands-on after it was out of the box and on the TV stand, but that task in and of itself (not to mention schlepping it out of Best Buy and confidently assuring the employees I didn’t need their assistance) was quite a feat. I’ve never been much of a TV-watcher, aside from my favorite cooking shows and Christmas movies when the time comes around, but my apartment just begged for one, especially since we are heading into winter and another partial shutdown due to the pandemic. Now, I’m definitely a TV-watcher, but don’t worry about providing recommendations because I probably will just keep watching re-runs of The Great British Baking Show and The Chef Show. 😊

And here’s the other side of my apartment! My tiny little living room. It’s cozy and space-efficient, it’s pretty, and it’s all mine. Renting my own apartment somewhere in a metropolitan area during my 20’s has always been a goal of mine. To do so during a pandemic and major period of civil unrest when the beloved Minneapolis/St. Paul area looks completely different, not so much, but here I am and I’m making the best of it.

Two more very important things: my human and our pup. ❤️ I don’t quite know what I would have done this year without them. I’m so grateful for Lily’s cuddles and licks, and Brandon’s strength, optimism, and uplifting sense of humor that reminds me to not take life too seriously, and encourages me to remember how strong I am, even on the toughest of days. I love these two!

One more thing: confidence. If there’s one thing I’ve reclaimed this year, it’s my self-confidence. As I’m sure many of us did, I went through a rough patch when this pandemic started - I was jobless, but giving my job search my all every single day; I was hungry for friends, but not able to see anyone; I was grateful to be with my family, but discouraged that I couldn’t be working and living the life I had pictured for this time in my 20’s. And I was fit and healthy, but - most importantly - just not confident in my own skin.

I realized it was only I who has control over my self-confidence, so I took charge and made changes to rebuild myself - mind and body. What size I wear and how much I weigh doesn’t matter. What truly matters at the end of the day, to me, is that I took the initiative to make the change I wanted and needed to make and have sustained it. I’m not perfect and I have plenty of bad days still, but I know that at the end of any good or bad day, I have me and I love this woman I have become.

And that’s the most valuable piece of advice I can give - ask yourself who you are, what you want, and where you are at. Do you love the person in your head, in your heart, in the mirror? Are you focusing on the things you can control and pursuing your goals whole-heartedly? Are you taking care of yourself? Ask yourself those questions, and be brave to make changes as needed. Be brave. 🖤