25 votes

What are your best memories from 2020?

There are lots of retrospectives about famous people that died and depressing virus talk on the news. But life is full of apparent contradictions and it is not uncommon to find joy even in the most desperate situations. What are some things that made you happy in 2020? Anything, personal or not.

26 comments

  1. [2]
    Comment deleted by author
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    1. CrunchyTabasco
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      I feel the same. During my week of spring break, I got an email from my university that we'd have two extra weeks of break and resume entirely online after that. Those three weeks were honestly...

      I feel the same. During my week of spring break, I got an email from my university that we'd have two extra weeks of break and resume entirely online after that. Those three weeks were honestly kind of...fun? But the novelty quickly wore off once school resumed, and things haven't gotten much better since.

      3 votes
  2. [3]
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    1. [2]
      mrbig
      (edited )
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      Yes! Although I was so scared and anxious that what I felt could be better described as “relief” instead of “joy”.

      Yes! Although I was so scared and anxious that what I felt could be better described as “relief” instead of “joy”.

      10 votes
      1. eve
        (edited )
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        Ugh YES! This whole year has been full of fear and anxiety. That was at least one thing to sort of tick of the box off existential worry.

        Ugh YES! This whole year has been full of fear and anxiety. That was at least one thing to sort of tick of the box off existential worry.

        7 votes
  3. [4]
    eve
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    Both my SO and I moved out of our parents' homes and moved in together! It was a crazy experience, I had never moved before and there was weird stuff at home going on, but it was great. I loved...

    Both my SO and I moved out of our parents' homes and moved in together! It was a crazy experience, I had never moved before and there was weird stuff at home going on, but it was great. I loved getting into the apartment and being like "Holy shit this is ours!!".

    Genuinely, it felt like the world was going to end and I would cease to exist, the day before move in (that was the anxiety talking, it was rough). But we found a home together and it still makes me want to cry from happiness. We're solely responsible for ourselves and our things and I'm absolutely in love with that. And also I can put my plants wherever I (they) want!? I LOVE IT, and I will continue to love it!

    14 votes
    1. [2]
      mrbig
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      Very happy for you! It’s funny to hear you talk about your love for plants, because my girlfriend has a tiny rainforest in her tiny house and that makes me crazy. I tease her about it all the...

      Very happy for you!

      It’s funny to hear you talk about your love for plants, because my girlfriend has a tiny rainforest in her tiny house and that makes me crazy. I tease her about it all the time, but I know the static pets make her happy :)

      7 votes
      1. eve
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        Thank you!! And aww that's so cute! My boyfriend keeps me in check when it comes to plants so we don't have too many lol. I would like to get a few more but space is pretty limited in our...

        Thank you!! And aww that's so cute! My boyfriend keeps me in check when it comes to plants so we don't have too many lol. I would like to get a few more but space is pretty limited in our apartment and our south facing kitchen window can only hold so many haha.

        4 votes
    2. [2]
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      1. eve
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        Thank you!! I honestly do the same. Having my own space has been such a boon for creativity and less stress. I had been living with so many people for my whole life, the peace of just having one...

        Thank you!! I honestly do the same. Having my own space has been such a boon for creativity and less stress. I had been living with so many people for my whole life, the peace of just having one other soul is great. Even the noise of our neighbors doesn't bother me/is far less than when I had to live with my siblings/nieces and mom.

        5 votes
  4. aphoenix
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    My sister announced her engagement. That was the highest high point for me. We love her partner; he's a wonderful fellow, and is also my business partner, and all my kids think of him as their...

    My sister announced her engagement. That was the highest high point for me. We love her partner; he's a wonderful fellow, and is also my business partner, and all my kids think of him as their uncle already, but it's nice that they're "making it official".

    My brother and his wife announced that they're expecting their second son, which is similarly wonderful. My siblings did the best they could to keep 2020 positive.

    My family rented a cottage in August, and took a nice week away from the stresses of life. We played board games, went to the beach every day, kayaked a lot, and generally had a great time.

    Those are probably the highlights. Oh, I guess I scraped together enough money to buy the software development company that I formerly worked at, which is also nice.

    9 votes
  5. [2]
    mrbig
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    Found a girlfriend in the middle of the pandemic Won a contest that secured funding (a "book advance" in the English speaking world) for my first book, a short story collection of speculative...
    1. Found a girlfriend in the middle of the pandemic
    2. Won a contest that secured funding (a "book advance" in the English speaking world) for my first book, a short story collection of speculative fiction
    3. Played a bunch of Path of Exile and Borderlands online with my friends. It was awesome!
    9 votes
    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
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      1. mrbig
        (edited )
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        If you found Diablo 3 difficulty, you may not enjoy Path of Exile. I wouldn’t call it extremely punishing but it is very complex, a lot more than Diablo. It is definitely not recommended for...

        If you found Diablo 3 difficulty, you may not enjoy Path of Exile. I wouldn’t call it extremely punishing but it is very complex, a lot more than Diablo. It is definitely not recommended for casual gaming. If you’re comfortable looking up guides and wikis, you’ll probably be fine.

        On the plus side, it is very addicting, the mechanics are super fun and there are lots of great content. PoE is one of the best Free to Play deals you can get. You can spend money to make things more comfortable, and when you get to the upper levels it is basically impossible to manage your inventory without buying extra tabs. But you get a lot of value until you reach that point.

        Some people call PoE an MMO, but, as someone who used to play WoW, I think that’s an exaggeration. Everything is instanced, and you’re mostly alone outside cities. There’s nothing massive about it.

        Playing with friends is weird because loot does not scale and you end up with less stuff than soloing. It’s still fun, though.

        It’s free, so I’d say give it a shot. I didn’t expect to like it so much myself, I usually stay away from complexity. But there’s something very engaging about PoE.

        If you ever play on the Xbox or PS4, send me a message. I’d be happy to team up with you and teach you the ropes (not that I’m a top player or anything ...).

        4 votes
  6. joplin
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    Being able to work from home. I know it's not for everyone, but it's definitely for me. I spent 5 years working from home when I ran my own business and I've missed it so much. It's so liberating...

    Being able to work from home. I know it's not for everyone, but it's definitely for me. I spent 5 years working from home when I ran my own business and I've missed it so much. It's so liberating to not have to be in a place just to look like you're doing something. I also get more done because I'm not constantly interrupted by every little problem someone else has. Being able to take care of my family in a more timely manner has been really nice, too. Having lunch with my spouse is better than having lunch with my coworkers, even though I like my coworkers. It's also great to see entire families out taking walks in the middle of the day instead of just moms with babies. Dads are involved, older kids are involved. It's nice! (Now if they would all just wear their freakin' masks!)

    And since we're not really traveling, I've had a lot more time to spend learning and working on fun stuff during my down time. I've played more music, programmed more experiments, and done a lot more cooking than usual.

    And oddly, we've gotten a little more involved in our community, though at a distance due to the pandemic. Since we're spending less on vacations and stuff, we've been trying to help out those less fortunate than us more. We've supplied all delivery people who come to our house with free snacks and drinks, and we've been giving them "hazard pay" tips when possible. We've given a bunch of food and clothing to our local charities. And we've given more to various charities online.

    8 votes
  7. [4]
    autumn
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    I did a ton of camping in my little trailer that I bought in the spring of 2019. Maybe 8-10 trips total in 2020. I completed NaNoWriMo in November. I spent a lot of time with my two dogs. I even...
    • I did a ton of camping in my little trailer that I bought in the spring of 2019. Maybe 8-10 trips total in 2020.
    • I completed NaNoWriMo in November.
    • I spent a lot of time with my two dogs. I even started trail running with the Aussie, which he seems to enjoy!
    • I got a spin bike in September and got super addicted to riding it often. I’ve been an outdoor cyclist for years, but I really enjoy that more when there’s the social aspect to it.
    • I spent a few nights in a remote cabin with my partner and the dogs, which was a great way to end the year.
    7 votes
    1. eve
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      Those all sounds so nice! And congrats on completing NaNoWriMo! That might be my goal this year lol.

      Those all sounds so nice! And congrats on completing NaNoWriMo! That might be my goal this year lol.

      5 votes
    2. [2]
      mrbig
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      Cool! What did you write about?

      Cool! What did you write about?

      3 votes
      1. autumn
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        I wrote as part of an online play by post RPG I’ve been a part of for over 10 years. It was definitely a non-traditional “novel,” as there was no beginning/middle/end.

        I wrote as part of an online play by post RPG I’ve been a part of for over 10 years. It was definitely a non-traditional “novel,” as there was no beginning/middle/end.

        4 votes
  8. [5]
    Comment deleted by author
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    1. [3]
      mrbig
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      Hey dude, I’ve worn glasses all my life. I love it. Women enough find me attractive with or without them. I have a few hypothesis about your sudden change in status: you have a bad taste in...

      Hey dude, I’ve worn glasses all my life. I love it. Women enough find me attractive with or without them.

      I have a few hypothesis about your sudden change in status:

      • you have a bad taste in glasses / used the wrong frames for your face
      • you are now more confident, and confidence is attractive
      • your peripheral vision improved and now you’re noticing women’s appreciation for your appearance more often

      Either way, you were always a handsome fellow ;)

      10 votes
      1. [3]
        Comment deleted by author
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        1. [3]
          Comment deleted by author
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          1. [2]
            mrbig
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            If one day I woke up without myopia and astigmatism, I would get non corrective lenses and keep wearing glasses just to maintain my style. That’s how much I love them :P

            If one day I woke up without myopia and astigmatism, I would get non corrective lenses and keep wearing glasses just to maintain my style. That’s how much I love them :P

            5 votes
            1. [2]
              Comment deleted by author
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              1. mrbig
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                Thanks! I suppose that might be true, I won’t reject the compliment! But I just, genuinely, think glasses are cool. I like how I look wearing them.

                Thanks! I suppose that might be true, I won’t reject the compliment!

                But I just, genuinely, think glasses are cool. I like how I look wearing them.

                5 votes
    2. eve
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      Aww, I'm glad you got a boost from it! I am also jealous you won't have to try to lay down and wear glasses while reading. Congrats on getting the surgery!

      Aww, I'm glad you got a boost from it! I am also jealous you won't have to try to lay down and wear glasses while reading. Congrats on getting the surgery!

      7 votes
  9. Kuromantis
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    For me, it was that time when I guessed the definition of "opinion article" a teacher would use nearly verbatim and when I spent a few hours combing through the 2020 census results on my phone and...

    For me, it was that time when I guessed the definition of "opinion article" a teacher would use nearly verbatim and when I spent a few hours combing through the 2020 census results on my phone and it paying off for me with a handful of compliments and a few exemplaries. A lot of people here have talked about far more serious stuff in this thread but those are the 2 things I genuinely enjoyed and felt proud of this year.

    5 votes
  10. Tygrak
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    I don't really have any amazing moments, but 2020 was ok for me. Specific nice moments: Relaxing days, doing nothing over the summer, going on nice walks in the forest. Spontaneously deciding to...

    I don't really have any amazing moments, but 2020 was ok for me.

    Specific nice moments:

    • Relaxing days, doing nothing over the summer, going on nice walks in the forest.
    • Spontaneously deciding to learn how to skateboard, actually getting a skateboard and actually learning some basics.
    • Making a nice game for Ludum Dare, and people saying some nice things about it. Getting 2nd place in the "mood" category and 10th place in the audio category in the results with it.
    • Doing Timasomo.
    • Read some nice stories, played some nice games, watched some nice shows.

    I didn't have any amazing experiences, but also no terrible experiences. So I mostly kept up the status quo in 2020, which I am ok with. It would be great if I finally got around fixing some of the bigger "problems", but that's a hard thing to do, and not having things get bad is pretty good by itself.

    5 votes
  11. Akir
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    I got proposed to last March on a cruise. We are planning on getting married on the next one. 💕

    I got proposed to last March on a cruise. We are planning on getting married on the next one. 💕

    5 votes
  12. Good_Apollo
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    Getting engaged. Really, everything else about the year was trash. Work sucked, social life sucked, it all sucked. But I got engaged. Oh I guess a few good games came out...we’ve enjoyed Genshin...

    Getting engaged. Really, everything else about the year was trash. Work sucked, social life sucked, it all sucked. But I got engaged.

    Oh I guess a few good games came out...we’ve enjoyed Genshin Impact a bit.

    5 votes
  13. [3]
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    1. [2]
      cfabbro
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      Sorry to hear about the unfortunate circumstances, but welcome back to the frigid north. ;)

      Sorry to hear about the unfortunate circumstances, but welcome back to the frigid north. ;)

      4 votes
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
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        1. cfabbro
          (edited )
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          I assume you're back in 'berta? It's been a crazy warm winter here in SE Ontario too. It has only snowed a handful of times so far, and each time it has totally melted away within a couple days....

          I assume you're back in 'berta? It's been a crazy warm winter here in SE Ontario too. It has only snowed a handful of times so far, and each time it has totally melted away within a couple days. The snow currently on the ground from about a week ago is the longest any of it has stuck around for, but even it got pretty slushy today and shrunk quite a bit from where it was at yesterday. And by tommorow or the next day it should be completely gone, based on the forecast.

          2 votes
  14. Iliketoast
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    Adopting our newborn son. It was a journey of a couple of years but matching with a birth mother was the greatest thing that could have happened any year. Here's to many years of happy and healthy...

    Adopting our newborn son. It was a journey of a couple of years but matching with a birth mother was the greatest thing that could have happened any year. Here's to many years of happy and healthy fun!

    5 votes