We all look forward to New Year's Eve. It's the date when we celebrate the closing of another year. It's also the last party date of a month of celebrations. Unfortunately for many, this year celebrations have looked a bit different. Many have had to celebrate the holidays absent from family and friends and NYE will probably be another holiday spent away from the ones we love. Personally, I feel like I've been in a slump and not feeling that "go get'em" I normally feel. But as I've stated before in another blog the lows naturally come along with the highs. I think if you've somehow gotten through the last nine months without experiencing a bit of ups and downs I wanna know what prescription you are taking. For me, I've kept myself busy working on an array of projects. Everything from organizing my closets, creating cooking videos to creating my TravelChic340 blog which has given me a large amount of personal satisfaction. Honestly, I think if it wasn't for being forced to slow down and smell the roses, so to speak, I would have delayed even longer starting my blog. Matter of fact, listening to many people and the projects they started due to lockdowns and/or working from home you can say this pandemic sort of birthed new inspiration for many people. Like I've always believed, behind every tragedy there are blessings. Sometimes you just have to look for them.
At this point, I'm still unsure what my New Years Eve will look like. On December 30th the UK Government will review the situation and make a determination if we will remain in Tier 4. FYI...Tier 4 in the UK is pretty much a lockdown and has issued no travel abroad restrictions. I am a Tier 4 resident and cannot travel abroad. So we will have to wait and see what is determined on the 30th of December and that outcome will determine if I can travel. But regardless of where I physically am during New Years, I promised myself to approach 2021 with the same vigor and excitement I've approached past years. Even if it takes almost half of 2021 to sort out our current situations with the virus and economy I think the fact we know we are moving in the right direction is a relief for many. Even if that light at the end of the tunnel seems to be coming through a pinhole as each day passes that pinhole becomes bigger and wider until the light fills up the tunnel. In other words, better days are ahead. So what do we do until then?
Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do until then....plan, plan and plan!!! I may be wrong about this, I hope not, but I think Summer 2021 is going to be a summer most of us desperately need and will never forget. Summer 2020 was spent trying to wrap our heads around what exactly was happening. Many of us spent the summer in sweatpants and t-shirts or never changing out of our pajamas. Laying around on couches, taking long walks, or a little of both. I was horrified to learn daily showering had even been abandoned - for some. I'm not sure why leaving the house is the only motivation for a daily bath but hey I'm trying not to judge because I know you may have been going through something. So with the new year and a new summer ahead of us I feel and smell promise in the air.
So with that promise what am I getting excited about. Well if you know me you know a few things will be dresses, shoes and some ritual pampering. So let's start with fashion. First, let me start by saying I am in deep need of a night out to dress up!! I can't be the only one crying over my crystal booties that haven't seen the light of day the entire year of 2020. I managed a couple of nights out where I was able to polish myself up but what I need is a night of outright SPARKLE!!! I wanna be blinding the people on the sidewalks as I walk totally dripping with crystals and rhinestones from head to toe. I know that sounds extreme but this is what happens when a magpie is locked away for way too long. I am also looking forward to warm summer nights wearing flowy summer dresses. I absolutely love a summer dress. During this past summer's lockdown I purchased several summer dresses that still have the tags attached. So summer 2021 I will look forward to rocking many of those dresses day and night.
Next thing I'm planning to get excited about are shoes!!! I adore shoes. I adore even more shoes with a bit or a lot of bling. Shoes are my favorite summer accessory. Even though I love costume blingy jewelry it's something I tend to wear more of during the winter months - well not this winter. In the summer I may wear a ring or some earrings, but frankly, when it's hot outside the less jewelry I wear the more comfortable I feel. So I like to make jewelry statements with my shoes. Sadly summer 2020 my feet mainly saw the inside of trainers more than the freedom of sandals but I'm excited summer 2021 will turn things around for my feet. As with my booties, there are some shoes in my closet that were looking forward to making their debuts but sadly postponed. So for summer 2021, we are looking forward to dresses and shoes. What's next on the list? Because you're right it can't just be about clothing.
Summer 2021 I am looking forward to having many picnics! With the cancellation of a few arranged picnics in the park and a few I could not attend I am looking forward to planning a few picnics in the park. Sometimes it takes the loss of something before you realize how much you miss it. Before I never put much effort into a picnic in the park because it was something you could do at any time. Well, now we know nothing is promised to us. Not even a simple picnic in the park. So this coming summer I am going to be sure to have a few picnics in the park properly. With a large blanket, food, chilled wine and my Fortnum & Mason hamper I was gifted (I've always wanted one!) that I'm going to kit out with picnic wear. Along with picnics, I'm also looking forward to a few lazy lunches along the river. Of course, it goes without saying doing these things with family and friends means so much more.
Another thing I am looking forward to bringing back Summer 2021? All my beauty rituals which have taken a back seat due to the pandemic. I usually like to kick off the summer with a couple of professional facials for my face and my back. We can't see our backs but in the summertime wearing all those summer dresses I always like to make sure the back view is as good as the front. I also can't wait for regular manicures and pedicures. I managed one mani/pedi during this entire crisis for my birthday. But honestly, since the budget needed cutting it was a no brainer to cut out manicures and pedicures because where am I going? So definitely back on the list for summer 2021.
The last thing I am going to look forward to planning....and I may be pushing the envelope a bit with this but we will have to wait and see,,, it is traveling. At least one trip!!??? That's all I'm asking. Some sandy beach somewhere to get my manicured toes in the sand and a dip in the ocean. I don't know what it means, but this entire pandemic has had me craving to be near a body of water. Somewhere to let the sun bronze my skin while listening to the waves of the ocean. I really regret not making a last-minute trip to Italy or Portugal at the end of this summer even for just a couple of days. But summer 2021 I'm going somewhere and I'm really not bothered if it only ends up being a beach on the Isle of Wight. I'm going somewhere!!!
There are so many things I look forward to in 2021. Many lessons taught and learned in 2020. We've had to learn to adjust our time and our budgets. If you didn't then you are very lucky. Many people had to learn to work from home, learn how to be home more, how to be on their own more and how to manage our time and what to do to keep our hands busy. We've had to spend time away from family and friends but we found ways to communicate with FaceTime and Zoom to keep those connections strong. I think the main thing we learned is to be resilient. We also learned that as we continue to walk through that tunnel and into the light if we've managed to do so with little injury to ourselves and family then we are truly blessed. Many will enter 2021 without some of the loved ones they celebrated with going into 2020. If you are someone that has experienced pain and heartache in 2020 I say we have to remember to keep our lights bright and alive because our loved ones would want us to continue on living in the light and not the dark.
So with that I will say I know my plans for 2021 seem silly and a bit superficial. That's okay. I know these are things that make me happy and I get a lot of happiness planning and thinking about them. But that's my point. We've had one heck of a year and we need some superficiality and silliness to look forward too. Whatever it is that makes us smile and brings that spark back into our eyes. So I'm going to look forward to mani/pedis, flowy dresses and a sandy beach somewhere and all the silliness I can find. So what excitement will 2021 bring to you? Think about it and plan for it. The worst that can happen??? A new plan.
Cheers
Tracy
