melaus

What a year 2020 had been!

The year started with much optimism. I remembered complaining about that I was still singing Christmas music, as I had the amazing chance to record with Bath Abbey on a Christmas CD for Christmas 2020. I also went home to see family in late January, which in hindsight a great decision, as I haven't been able to see them again since.

Like many, I had big plans for the rest of the year, but things took a dramatic turn in March when the UK (like much of the rest of the world) went into a national lockdown. All of a sudden, everything was shut, stockpilers bought all the loo rolls, and working from home became mandatory.

The pandemic allowed me to slow down and reflect on my priorities. I recognised that it's my friends, family and myself that I really need to focus on. In a busy city like London, it's easy to go for convenient "friendships" than putting effort into maintaining relationships that really matter. I really want to change that for me and my friends.

Throughout the pandemic, I have spoken more to my closest friends and just generally spending time with them, gone for long walks, picked up yoga and built a computer from scratch. My friends and I supported each other when we felt down, as well as celebrating joyful moments together.

Professionally, I feel particularly lucky and privileged that I have been largely unaffected and have grown significantly in my career despite the sobering reality for many. My job is secure and inherently work-from-home ready. In the height of the first wave, I moved into a new subdivision within the company, and have since been fortunate enough to work on two brand new products of significant importance, with both launched all whilst everyone was working remotely.

2020 also marked an exciting chapter in my life in the UK.

A decade ago, as a 17 year-old student, I embarked on a journey to an unknown land 6000 miles away from home. It was a huge cultural shock - gone were shops that open 24 hours every day and replaced by ones that close at 17:00 sharp on a weekday; gone were my usual gang of schoolmates and friends but replaced by a boarding house full of pupils from all over the world; gone were the comfort of home and family and replaced by strangers in a new environment.

But, that also marked the start of my adult life. Gone were being embarrassed about asking questions in class; gone were my bad academic grades; gone were being dependent on domestic helpers. A decade later, I graduated from a good university, got myself a job to start my life in the real world and have made a group of really good and close friends for life.

If there's a need of more good news in 2020, it has to be me obtaining my indefinite leave to remain! This means no more visas, no more restrictions in employment and no more extortionate amounts to pay on visas, and healthcare and other surcharges. I am finally free to forge my own path in whatever direction I want.

All in all, despite the horrendous situation with Covid, I am grateful to have kept sane by my friends and thankful that my life seems to have kept going!

In 2021, I just hope I can keep this momentum going, and reminding myself the priorities I rediscovered during a long and dramatic year. More importantly, I hope we can get back to some form of normality where we can hang out with our friends again like we used to, travel the world and meet new people, and visit family and friends back home!

There's some really exciting news I'd like to share in the next couple of weeks... Stay tuned!