When I wrote my 2019 recap post, I would never in a million years envisioned what 2020 turned into. It was a shit show. But in the middle of it all, there were some pretty awesome wins too. Here’s My 2020 a Year in Review – One Chel of an Adventure:
2020: A Year in Review
January 2020
Boston
I spent the first day of 2020 flying from Austin to Boston for my grandfather’s funeral. He was an amazing man and while I am sad he is no longer with us, I find comfort that he is no longer suffering.
Turned 27!
Had a birthday Sunday Funday with a bunch of my friends! I can’t think of a better way to spend my birthday — especially considering most people didn’t have birthday parties this year. Super grateful for that.
Staycation at Away Austin
Shelby and I did a staycation at ARRIVE Austin hotel! Knowing us, of course there were many photoshoots 😉
Alex Moved Back to the US!
After a year apart, Al moved back to the USA! Long distance freaking sucks, it’s been so great having him back.
Celebrity Ruffaree for the AHS Puppy Bowl
Got to be a “Celebrity Rufferee” for the Austin Humane Society Puppy Bowl! I absolutely love working with AHS, such a great organization here in Austin.
February 2020
COTA Suite Owners Day
A super cool work perk – getting to participate in the Suite Owners track day at COTA! We got to drive some reallllyyy fast Audi’s on the actual track!
Valentines + Moving Day!
I moved out of my tiny studio apartment in February! It served me well for 2.5 years and was the perfect place for single Chels. Alex and I moved into an awesome condo with an incredible view.
And just in time too…
March 2020
GT World Challenge at COTA
Little did I realize this was the last event I’d attend in a longgggg while.
March 6 - Canceled SXSW
The day they canceled SXSW is the day it all started for me. I can remember getting texts and seeing the news. My friends freaking out over the thousands of dollars they’d lose from canceled brand partnerships (myself included).
I remember asking Alex if we should stock up on groceries. I heard a rumor of toilet paper being out of stock, so I ordered a big package on Amazon just to be safe… that lasted us through #ToiletPaperGate thankfully.
March 25 - Shelter in Place Began
The day “shelter in place” started and nearly everyone moved to work remotely. I have an “essential job” so have continued to go into the office for the duration.
And so quarantine began…
April 2020
… and continued on through April. April felt like one of the longest months ever. We stayed indoors, did our best to stay safe, and watched a tonnnn of TV and movies (hence why I posted a list of the 41 Best Travel Movies).
April 13th was the original “Shelter in Place” expiration date, but that came and went.
and that was it for April.
May 2020
May 9th - Blog Anniversary
Happy 4 years to One Chel of an Adventure! Incredible that it’s been 4 years… and to see where I started and where I am today.
Bought My Dream Car!
I have wanted a convertible FOREVER. I finally went for it and got a 2008 Mazda Miata! Top-down drives have been such a joy during quarantine times.
Weekend in Rockport, Texas
We finally got to “travel” and headed down to Rockport for my sister’s birthday weekend! It was SO nice to be able to see some family and get out of Austin for a while.
Related:
Best Texas Beaches: 10 Beach Towns in Texas to Visit
June 2020
Black Lives Matter
Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and ultimately George Floyd’s deaths sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the world. From May to August, there were over 10,600 Black Lives Matter protests across the US. I recognize my privilege as a white woman and have tried my best to educate myself and will continue to do so.
Celebrated Anniversary at Austin Proper Hotel
Got to do a staycation at the Austin Proper Hotel to celebrate our 2-year anniversary! It was so nice to do something “special” for our anniversary. The Austin Proper was amazing — highly recommend it if you’re looking for a place to stay in Austin!
Things Started to Feel a Little More Normal
Being able to get out a little helped life feel a little more normal. I was able to get a haircut and lashes done again (LOL)! I felt like a new woman!
July 2020
Weekend in Rockport
Got to spend another weekend down in Rockport with some friends. It was great to be out of Austin and see friends we hadn’t seen in forever!
Landed a Partnership with Travel Texas
Had the opportunity to work with Travel Texas! They asked me to write a weekend itinerary for their site — check it out here!
Started Keto
Alex and I started Keto and had AWESOME results! I cannot recommend it enough if you are looking to lose some weight fairly quickly. I wrote these posts to help anyone looking to start:
Life was feeling more and more normal in July — well as normal as you can feel wearing a face mask 90% of your day haha!
August 2020
The first part of August was relatively quiet, but no complaints!
Colorado Road Trip
At the end of August, we headed to Colorado for Alex’s 30th birthday! We road tripped to Estes Park, Grand Lake, and Vail and had an incredible time!
September 2020
September was again, pretty quiet! It’s crazy to see how few events I attend and how little traveling I did this year compared to 2019.
October 2020
Weekend in Dallas
Spent the first weekend in October in Dallas visiting Alex’s family! Again, was nice to get out of Austin for a little bit and see family. We also stopped in Waco along the way and explored for my partnership with Mazda!
Weekend in Round Top
I finally got to travel with my best friends again!! Shelby and I stayed a night at the Wander Inn in Round Top, Texas.
Weekend in Boerne + Fredericksburg
Headed to Boerne for the weekend to see family and shoot for my blog post with Mazda again! We also visited Luckenbach and Fredericksburg.
TEMPO ARRIVED!
Georgetown + Waco Day Trip
Another day trip for my Hill Country day trips post with Mazda! Shelby and I explored Georgetown and Waco, and found some pretty cool murals!
Halloween
Spent Halloween in a friends backyard for some socially distanced fun – didn’t stop us from dressing up though!! 😉
November 2020
2020 Election Day
I voted for the first time ever in the 2020 Election (was in college the first time and last time I was in Australia)! It was a very uncertain time and Joe Biden wasn’t announced the winner until 5 days later!
Graeber Staycation
Did a staycation with Shelby at the super cool, downtown Austin Graeber House (also featured in my Coolest Airbnbs in Austin post). Would you have guessed this is located right in the middle of 6th street?! There is a freaking indoor swimming pool!
Rags to Wags Virtual Event
Last year at the Austin Humane Society I got to dress up as Cinderella and walk in their fashion show. This year, the event obviously went virtual, so instead, I helped film a short for the virtual event 😉
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving looked different this year. Instead of a huge family event, Alex and I spent it at his parent’s house and my mom came along too!
December 2020
For the most part, December was pretty quiet. We were trying to quarantine as much as possible before seeing our families for Christmas.
Peppermint Parkway at COTA
We did one drive-thru Christmas lights experience at COTA, it was fun but probably wouldn’t do it again – lots of traffic and not the lights weren’t anything too special. Was a fun date night though bundled up with the top down in my Miata!
Staycation at Udoscape
For Christmas, I surprised Alex with a unique glamping experience! We stayed a night in these super cool eco-domes. I posted a video on Tik-Tok and it went viral – reaching almost 250,000 people! It’s also listed on my Best Glamping Near Austin, TX post.
Christmas 2020
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to spend Christmas with our families, but we did our best to make the most of it together.
December in Blogging
Even though I was disappointed not to get to spend Christmas with my family, I do have something to celebrate in December… I ended the month with my best blog views in a month EVER – by almost 20,000 views!
I am feeling very excited about 2021 and truly do think it’s going to be the best year yet! **knocks on wood**
While writing my 2020 a Year in Review, I also looked back on my goals for 2020 and actually hit almost all of them, despite all the setbacks! Beyond thankful for all of you who follow my blog and support me! Thank you for being here and cheers to a better year in 2021!
xx Chels
Most Popular Blog Posts in 2020:
