I cannot believe it’s been a whole year since the coronavirus world pandemic was announced.

Who would have imagined that the world could slow down. That we won’t be allowed to travel internationally. In some cases and periods not even in a radius of 10 kilometers from our homes.

Who would have thought that it was possible to work from home for a year while taking care of our children.

Who would have imagined we would start jobs without ever meeting our manager and colleagues in person. That we would be able to close deals with new customers without ever shaking hands.

Who would have thought we would celebrate New Years Eve in a very small circle or completely alone. That organizing a wedding would become a mission impossible.

A year of no public events, no big celebrations and festivals.

Earlier this month I was reminded by Facebook about photos I have shared during the first days when my husband and I were faced with the challenge to work from home while taking care of our little daughter (who was not even one year old at the time).

I vividly remember the date March 15th 2020 – the first official day of the lockdown in The Netherlands. It all started so suddenly. From one day to the next the supermarkets got empty shelves and the whole world was shut down.

It was a tough first two months until the daycare opened again. My husband and I were taking care of our daughter in shifts – I had the morning shift and he had the afternoon one. We still use the joke that the money we spent on daycare is the best spent money ever 🙂

Fortunately, the summer got much better. There were even moments when life felt close to normal. I still feel blessed and grateful for spending 15 days in total on the seaside which is something that wouldn’t have been possible under normal circumstances.

I should admit that the months since December were quite challenging. First my parents in-law got covid. Then I got injured while skiing. Then my parents got covid. Both our families got treatment in a hospital. Then we got it.

Luckily we are all doing well now but as time passess, I feel more and more the consequences of spending too much time at home – the fatigue, the lack of movement and frequent exercise, the lack of fresh air, not enough breaks during the work day. The days are almost the same.

Though I cannot complain because regardless of all of the above challenges my husband and I spent most of our weekends and every free day we could get on the slopes – a total of 25 days of skiing so far and still counting.

What can I say, a year full of ups and downs, exciting and challenging periods, health and sickness, positive mindset and desperation. Another year of our lives…

What’s in it for you?

By looking back and sharing my personal reflection from the past twelve months, I hope you will be triggered to do the same.

What went well during the past year? Be grateful about it.
What were your challenges? What did you learn from them?
What was the most striking day or experience for you from the past year? Why?

Take the time, look back and reflect on your own journey.

I hope that one year from now the world will be in a much better place. And I hope that every following March we will move closer to a world that looks more like the one we used to know. A world of freedom and endless possibilities.