2020 in 12 Images

#1 MOM VISITS // JANUARY // The very beginning of the year started out so promising. My Mom snagged a cheap flight out to visit. We hiked Anza-Borrego, explored the Safari Park and laughed our heads off at a winery. We even went tide pooling (I saw my first star fish!), had a beach bonfire and had an amazing spa day at a resort. Writing this now, in December of 2020, these activities seem like a mythical luxury of the past, I would give anything to partake in today.

#3 HEARTBREAKING LOSS // FEBRUARY // On 02.20.20 our sweet girl, Aurora, passed away suddenly. She had gotten sick the day before and unfortunately didn’t make it through the night. It was the worst case scenario, and left us totally heartbroken. We are grateful that we were able to try to comfort her and tell her how much we love her in her final moments, but anyone that has every truly loved a pet and lost a pet knows how devastating this is. Our fiery girl will always be in our hearts. I love you, Rora!

#5 LAID-OFF // MARCH // The gut punch of the year. I was at a job I LOVED, with people I LOVED. But in March COVID-19 sounded a bit like this; “The President bans travel from Europe.” “The NBA cancels its season.” “Tom Hanks has COVID-19.” “All bars, wineries and retail stores close.” Which resulted in me losing my job, applying for unemployment and a lot of day drinking. This is a photo of my crying puffy face after the news, because I guess it felt like this garbage moment needed to be recorded.

#7 BIOLUMINESCENT WAVES // MAY // At this point we had not be outside after dark for 3 months. We would do an occasional masked walk around the block during the day, but when all bars and wineries are closed you realize you don’t go outside at night for many other reasons. We decided to grab our face masks and head out to see the bioluminescent waves. And it truly was a night filled with wonder and joy! First of all, just to be outside, breathing in some fresh air. Second, the beauty of crazy things in nature brought us a lot of happiness. Our foot steps would glow with each step into the sand, it was like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. Worth the crazy hike down to the water in the dark, while wearing a mask.
Photograph By: Xavier SaySo @Xquesohueso

#9 TEMECULA // JULY // After being cooped up for 5 months, Danny & I were very lucky to snag a get-away weekend in Temecula, CA. We rented an RV, and we were completely isolated out in nature. It was amazing and MUCH NEEDED! Being able to be outside without a mask-on, was incredible. Oh, the luxury’s in life we didn’t know we’d miss. We loved cooking over a fire, the nearby farm animals, and I personally loved dressing up cute to take some desert pictures. We even saw our first ever tarantula!

#11 NEW JOB // AUGUST // After being on the laid-off roller coater for most of the year, I finally took the leap and accepted a new job at Munchkin Inc! It is always scary to shake things up and make a career move but I am SO glad I did.

#2 BIG BEAR // FEBRUARY // Our annual trip to Big Bear! All of our friends got together and stayed at a cozy cabin up in Big Bear. Second year for this tradition, and it was as wonderful as always. Except this year I took a hard pass on the painful snowboarding and hung back and enjoyed the cabin’s hot tub all to myself. I’m telling you, that’s the way to do it. Great food, lazy days and wonderful friends. Too bad I didn’t know this would be our last COVID-19 worry-free gathering before everything went to crap.

#4 COVID-19 ARRIVES! // MARCH // Welp! This is when the world turned upside down. This photo was taken on 03.11.20 - This was the week that everything went from, “Oh, there are just a hand full of cases in the US…” to “Oh no, it’s here and spreading…” And the panic spread with it. I took this photo while at the Ralph’s by our home in San Diego in an attempt to buy some toilet paper and water. We went to the store to “stock up” on groceries so we could hunker down at home. Which at the time we thought may be for a few weeks, maybe a month. I can’t emphasis enough how naive we were.

#6 SELLING FACE MASKS // APRIL // When your life really takes a hard, sharp, painful turn. After being laid-off I grabbed extra work selling face masks and sanitizers to pay the bills. At this point most people around the country were still desperate to get their hands on face masks, and the US did not have enough to go around. I spent my days doing data entry for face mask orders and answering customer service phone calls from frustrated and anxious people. These were a lot of long, exhausting, and to be completely honest - spirit crushing days. After 2-3 months of these tough days, I got my hours cut down to part-time and my friends got laid-off completely. This kinda made the energy turn from heart-break to “fuck this!” That was the end for me, I quit.

#8 OUR 7th YEAR ANNIVERSARY // MAY // It’s honestly hard to come up with the words this year. This man is always incredible, but wow. 2020 rocked us, like so many people, and I could not have survived it without him by my side. He is the only person I have hugged in 10 months. We have both been stuck inside with only each other for months on end. Which could be a recipe for disaster but honestly with him, it’s not terrible. Don’t get me wrong it’s challenging as hell for a lot of other reasons, but this guy isn’t one of them. He is my constant bright spot. And since our anniversary trip to Catalina Island was cancelled due to the pandemic, we brought a little fun under our own roof with an inside camping day. Complete with a fort, s’mores, and an inside star projector.

#10 BUNNY BIRTHDAY // Our sweet Theodore turned 11 years old! What a milestone Birthday! After losing Aurora this year, it has been strange to see him without her — but we are so grateful for all of the extra time we are getting to spend with him due to the pandemic and us both working from home. He is very spoiled and very very loved.

#12 MOVED TO LOS ANGELES // As I mentioned I accepted a new job at Munchkin Inc, which is located in Los Angeles. So, you guessed it, we moved to Los Angeles! Obviously, moving during COVID isn’t a normal experience. We haven’t been able to explore or enjoy much of LA due to the pandemic, but we are enjoying our new larger beautiful apartment! Our pretty kitchen backsplash, large balcony and our two bathrooms really are an upgrade we are grateful for. Especially since we now spend 90% of our time in our apartment. Hoping 2021 brings more fresh air and adventure!

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