A Positive 2020 Retrospective

[Lizica]

This year has been a really, really rough year, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. But last year, I started the Positive 2019 Retrospective thread because I thought it would be good to think back on that year's positives and share some of that with each other, and I really loved hearing from you all then. <3

And while I know 2020 has been all manner of stressful in so many ways, I still know that it's important to try to find things to be grateful for and to remember that even amidst all this, there have still been bright points.

So if you like, please share with us some good things that have happened to you this past year! Big things, small things, anything in between! ^^

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To start--there's you. You, reading this. I'm grateful for you. I'm so, so glad that you're still here. Thank you so much for pulling through and for being here. <3

If I'm honest, I thought about starting this thread partway through the year multiple times because I knew how hard 2020 was and that such a thread might be helpful. But, perhaps somewhat selfishly, I kept deciding that, no, I needed to make it through this whole year. I didn't want to move the goalposts. I wanted to survive this whole dang year so I could make that thread in December. So...you know, I'm glad I had this thread to act as a tangible goal. I'm grateful to be here, too. I'm grateful that so many people I love are okay.

Way back in January, we got to visit my sister at her new place! We went to museums and gardens, ate great food, visited with my aunt and uncle, and overall had a great time.

I reread Bunnicula for the first time since elementary school, and it was just as great as I remember. (Put a pin in this, it'll come back later in this list.)

An empanada restaurant opened in my town! I need to emphasize that homemade, delicious empanadas are not a common thing to come by in a small place like this. And they are AMAZING.

We did a lot of gardening at home, and it was just so neat to see so many things flourish and grow on our porch! (Also, we learned that you can regrow green onions just by putting the roots in a bowl of water and then later planting them, and?? Why did no one tell me this before?? XD)

Pixie and I ran April Showers! =DD Sometimes it was exhausting, but it was such a good time, and I'm really happy we got to do it. <3 Thanks, Pixie!!

All the NTWF events were so fun and great to look forward to this year! Art exchanges, creative challenges, Spirit Weeks, TDP watch parties, Trick or Treat, so much good stuff. Thanks to everyone who put these together! <3

Everybody probably has different games that've gotten them through this year, and I think for me it might be Pokemon Masters. XD It's definitely not a perfect game, but I do love me a good crossover, and their steady stream of events helped keep things moving.

My sister adopted a puppy and named him Howie, and my brother and sister-in-law adopted another dog and named him Chester! Everyone is joking that the next family pet needs to be named Harold, to complete the Bunnicula trifecta.

One of my favorite bands, The Oh Hellos, released two albums and thus completed their Anemoi series!

So many really good animated shows have been running this year, and I haven’t even been able to watch all of them yet! (Main ones for me have been Amphibia, The Owl House, and Hilda.)

My brother and sister-in-law are expecting a baby in April!! Please send them good vibes. <3

Just in general, NTWF, thank you for being here this year. Through all the ups and downs, it has been a relief and a joy to have a community of friends online, and it’s meant a whole lot to me to have you here. <333 Please keep staying safe out there, and take care of yourselves and your loved ones. You rock, I love you, and you deserve all the best! <333

[Rabbit ♠]

-This technically happened in late late late 2019, but I got into a relationship with Riel. We're getting so close to our first year and I love him. ^^

-I got on anxiety medication. I took a big step for getting a hang of my mental health and to this day, I'm still proud about doing it over nine months later.

-Some toxic people were living at home. They finally moved out and home is a lot more calm now.

-I tried that pizza place that's on campus and it has really good strombolis. Really good chicken and broccoli stromboli, 10/10.

-Kittens. Just. Kittens. 1000/10, I recommend littermates.

-I'm getting really good at art. I don't mean to brag, but I improved a lot over the year. I actually feel pretty confident in my art right now and I think I want to do commissions in the new year. I'm sure of it.

-On that art train, I've taken on a lot more ambitious projects recently. From large drawings to multiple illustrations to an animatic actually in the works. I'm still not the fastest worker, but the fact that I can take these on and finish them makes me proud.

While 2020 was a mess for a ton of reasons, it provided some good and I'm happy with what progress I made personally. ^^

[Twillie]

-I got to travel abroad for a month in the Dominican Republic! There was a lot of work involved, but overall it was a great experience I don't regret taking. I still look back on my favorite moments there and hope to have similar travels in the future.

-After years of sitting on it, I finally got a diagnosis for ADHD and started therapy. It's been a big help in better embracing coping strategies and routines suited for me, rather than trying to work against how my brain works. It's also helped with anxiety and other things, and I feel much more self aware and kinder towards myself.

-I got my first full time job, which I'm still working at! And while right now I'm kind of tired of it, I'm still very thankful to have a source of income and to be at least somewhat financially secure.

-I moved out of my parents' house! I miss the house itself, but it's been a great improvement being in a new environment. I moved in with my sister to a new house, and I've enjoyed decorating my new room in ways I couldn't with my old.

-I had my first cat fostering experience, wherein I temporarily home a scat who might've otherwise not lasted in the shelter, giving them better opportunity to get adopted while getting better individualized care. Not sure when I'll continue with this, but I imagine with the new year I can take in new shelter cats.

-This year has probably been my most productive comics-wise. I've gotten almost three arcs completely done this year (currently in the middle of the third). I also finally figured out an outline to the middle of Blossoms Act I, which has been the trickiest part to write lol. Instead of flailing for ideas after finishing an arc, I can better write scripts ahead of time to hopefully keep my productive momentum.

-This has been the first year of my life (that I can remember) where I'm not in school. While it's still a feeling to get used to, I'm very happy to create my own schedule and not always have an outside obligation taking up my time. Now that school isn't at the center of my life, I can decide what the purpose of my time is. No more constant deadlines stressing me (and also no more taking out loans and paying tuition lol).

-As such, I've picked up a lot more hobbies. Cooking, learning Korean, witchcraft (which I feel silly saying, but it's true, I've been doing research on it and little practices xD), and of course a lot of drawing and writing.

-I remembered Runescape exists again and returned to my old school account to beef it up some more. Now that I'm an adult with an income, I've seriously considered getting membership again, at least for a month or so, to relive old memories. I'll likely do this after Christmas, but even the thought gets me excited.

-After vaguely considering it for a while, I've finally decided that I want a tattoo, and I've figured out where and what it will be, plus I think I found a good shop. I grew up with a family who kinda side eyes stepping out of your comfort zone, so I always took it for granted the thought that I'm not the type to try things like tattooing. I want to embrace the things I want, though, so this will be a big step for that!
This is another thing I'll leave until after Christmas, though, and I'll probably ring in the new year contacting the shop and setting up a consultation. We'll see how it goes lol

-A lot of new music dropped this year that I enjoy. Most notably Lady Gaga released a new album, Chromatica!

-Avatar the Last Airbender was added to Netflix, plus I watched The Dragon Prince for the first time with forumers.

-The forum and Neopets continue to be my home online, and I've had all of you to keep me company during this year! Even under normal circumstances, all of my irl friends live far away from me, so I'm thankful to still have you all to talk to each day. I hope so in the years to come as well!

[Celestial]

2020 has actually been a really great year for me and my family, despite the world falling apart in general. Let's just count down some of the many things, not in any particular order.

- My family has been spared COVID-related losses. All of us who had jobs kept them, nobody got severely ill, despite my grandparents living in a very badly affected area and both being vulnerable (both over 70, grandpa has diabetes and a very #yolo approach to public transport). Obviously it sucks being separated from people who I love and care about, but it is better to have them there for the future than not have them at all. I hope they all continue to be well.

- I was part of putting up a legit museum exhibition that even got featured in the local news. The opening legit made me feel like a celebrity and it was great having people praise my work. I have actual graphic design experience under my belt. Even if we opened a few days before lockdown hit, it did get to open to the public and stayed up until November.

- Despite the pandemic, I completed a dissertation. A very good dissertation. It may not have gotten the highest grade, but it got an excellent grade (16/20), and I am really proud of it. I never imagined I'd be able to complete a dissertation, let alone wrote a 15k one.

- These two things, and more, contributed to me getting a Masters in Museum and Gallery Studies. With distinction i.e. I made the Dean's List for the first time in my entire life.

- I got to explore the nature that is local to me. That included seeing dolphins in the bay, finding a sand martin colony at the end of the beach, and maybe even seeing a Very Rare Bird in a nearby nature reserve. Not to mention the joy of watching bats on evening walks, wandering around the woods searching for mushrooms and stumbling upon deer, frogs and red squirrels.

- I met so, so many good dogs this year. <3 Special shoutout goes to Hygge, who belongs to one of Dormouse's friends.

- Dormouse started school! Smol is growing up. And she got an award for the end of term for creativity and smarts. This kis is going places.

- Dormouse's dad bought a house. No more living in rented properties for us. House is very bare at the moment, and I am not impressed, but it is exciting to be moving. It also means I may get a car for my own use. Watch this space.

- I discovered a ton of video games! I got a Switch, and with quarantine, I had a lot of time I needed to fill with something to destress. This led me to discovering amazing games. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is currently my favourite game of all time. I logged over 300 hours in that thing. I also enjoyed Untitled Goose Game, Sunless Sea and Okami. Finally got into Steam, and have bought a ton of new games which I am really excited about (Fallout: New Vegas, both Portals, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Papers, Please). At the moment though, I am working through Witcher 3, and it is awesome.

- Continued to find new TV shows to love. Have worked through Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, finished She-Ra, watched Witcher, started The Good Place, continued Attack On Titan (new season!), and plenty of others.

- D&D has rocked. Ma boii Meallan is currently fighting his patron and coming face to face with the full consequences of his actions, and me and Thorn have exciting plans. Peregrine continues to be a chaos child but recently met their dad and reconciled with their family, while Laguna remains Best Birb, and got to meet her family, adopt a duckling son, free some crewmates of one of the PCs from jail, and continue to kick butt.

- My art has progressed. I am doing fun things with lighting and motion, and actually managed to get a commission. Admittedly, it was for a friend, but still, monies. I hope I can keep expanding and learning as time goes on.

- I am retooling my old Medieval worldbuilding into an original novel. This is a very, very long term project, but so far, I am liking what is coming out of it.

- I quit antidepressants and I am doing relatively well, mental health wise. I have also found a good therapist, and though we've only had one session, I have a very good feeling about this. I'm not 100% well, but I am better than I used to be, and I am doing it without medication. Not to say I am not in favour of meds (I very much am), but given that last time I tried to quit, I ended up a depressed mess within a few days, I consider this an achivement.

- What else...what else...oh yes, I quite literally stumbled backwards into a relationship with Thundy. This and getting my degree are the two single biggest things that happened in 2020. I love him so much, and I am so excited to travel together, share stuff, and just to continue to have an amazing time together.

I want 2021 to be better for the world. But I want my life to continue on the same trajectory as 2020.

[Huntress]

With about an hour left in the year (timezones yay!), this feels like a good time to look back a little.

2020 was a great year for us too, honestly. Turns out that what we as a family really needed was to slow down our pace a bit.

- We've had cats for a year now. Did get them last November, but the bulk of our cat ownership fell into this year, with all the quiet afternoons when they're companionably asleep somewhere near us, all the "Amy, why are you sleeping upside down on the doorway, you dork?", being blessed by Queenie who'll climb into your lap when you sit down crosslegged, the wasps they murdered for us in summer, the hundreds of boxes they've claimed as their own, and the overall chill they've introduced to our lives.

- Took a ferry cruise to Stockholm in February. Probably won't get to go to Sweden for another ten years now, ahaha.

- Had, you know, a baby. And she's a happy smiley rolly-overy having-milestonesy bestbaby. She'll sleep through the night and beam in the morning, cackle when being dried after bathing, and otherwise make lots of chatty cooing noises.

- Older child somehow magically went from toddler to child this year. He's gotten all tall and gangly and I'm starting to really see what's going on in his head and which way his creativity takes him and it's a magnificent process to watch.

- We bought a new car. Is good car.

- But probably most predominantly, the whole quarantine business somehow did us as a couple a world of good. The lockdown came right at the heels of us having started therapy, and by that point we'd already undergone some pretty thorough processes, so turning inwards and slowing down to cultivate our very own little family bubble was precisely what we needed in spring. We continued getting therapy via Skype and in September the therapist eventually pretty much thought that we were done and sorted as far as she was concerned. It's an ongoing process, obviously, but one we actually equipped ourselves to undergo.

[Thorn]

First day of 2021, figured I may as well reflect on 2020. Despite NZ doing pretty well overall, mentally and emotionally it was a notgood year for me, but as always there were still Nice Things.

*Unvalentines Day at the local museum was so perfect and nice and exactly what I needed. Got to hang out with my closest irl friend and some of her friends, and I got complimented on my singing voice when we did some karaoke, which made me feel so happy!
*A cute cookies and milkshake food truck trundled into town earlier in the year. Oh my gosh. BEST milkshakes!!! It travels around the country, I hope we get it back some time...
*A new vegan burger place opened locally right at the start of the year, I caught up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while to try it out. Amazing deliciousness! Thankfully it managed to survive our lockdown. 
*My younger siblings wanted me to introduce them to D&D, and that's been honestly just the nicest experience arghhhh? They like my hobby! Yay!
*I always looked forward to the weekly coffee dates over Skype with my friendo during lockdown!
*During lockdown, one of the nearby nerdstores did a deal where you could buy stuff cheap and wait after lockdown to have it delivered. I got Dungeon of the Mad Mage, and am so glad I did! Such a cool D&D module. 
*I have the cutest masks. <3 I actually love my masks and how you can wear different designs to showcase your interests or personality. xD I'm hoping it will become common to wear these in flu season and such. 
*Finally went to the dentist after three years, was confident I needed at least one filling. Instead, I got told my teeth are amazing. 
*For Halloween, hung out with like ten others and had a 'Halo-ween' event using two xboxes. It was really fun, and I wore spider earrings and a fun rainbow spiderweb hat, while my brother dressed as Mario and one of our friends was a jedi.
*Local cinema put on the original Star Wars trilogy, and it was so exciting getting to see them on the big screen! Am wearing the t-shirt and socks I got for the occasion as I type. xD
*We did a secret santa at work, and when I talked to mine after the fact he revealed that the reason he wrapped it up so prettily is he remembered me saying I'd never done a secret santa before. Aww! Was such a lovely thoughtful Thing. <3
*I painted some eyes on a tabletop mini. I never thought I would be able to do this, with my weird shaky hands. My ultra fine brush arrived yesterday and I'm ready to try paint them even betterer, and the lips too!
*Thoughtful birthday gifts. ;-; There was an Astro headshot! A big box of minis! A set of dice that reminded Astro's DM of her! A book I'd been looking forward to for months!
*Tony's Chocolonely is now easy to get locally (a lot of these are food related...I just really like food. xD)

[Moni]

the good thing this year was my amazing friends <3

[June Scarlet]

I learned how to decorate cupcakes this year! I've taken to it quite well at the bakery.

I had a lovely camping trip in the autumn.

I finally earned Jack-of-all-trades rank on the NTWF!

I had and worked on all sorts of story ideas.

I participated in a lovely little roleplay here on the NTWF.

I feel confident in using Clip Studio Paint now.

I started a general petpage directory on Neopets: www.neopets.com/~Storyweaver

[PFA]

-I graduated at the start of the year!

-I also got a learner's permit at the start of the year! I never really got to use it, but still.

-I didn't get a job, but I got through two interviews for one place, which is pretty cool.

-I made some great friends!

-I got to work on some cool projects with said friends, which was a lot of fun!

-I added three games to my website! They were small games, but I'm still proud of that.

-I wrote/drew Unias Praetris, which I'm super proud of!

-Did some cool speedrunning stuff, including finding a skip for FF7!

-Speaking of FF7, I learned to mod that and I'm having a lot of fun with it!

-Other stuff I'm probably forgetting!