I thought long and hard about how I wanted to end my challenge. For a long time I was going to simply stay out all night, something this good girl had never done, but as lockdowns became tighter and stricter, I realised I’d be likely just sat on a park bench all night. That was obviously not how I wanted to end my year! I went through my to-do list and looked for anything big or meaningful and hit upon it – why not watch the sunrise and sunset on the same day, the last of 2020, and celebrate everything that has come before.
This isn’t going to be my post summing up the year, that will come, but I will touch upon how my challenge has got me through such a strange time. Whenever I would get frustrated that I had to do something or flustered at fitting it all in I would think back to 2019, a year full of surgeries and chemotherapy where life looked very different for me. This challenge was my way of getting control back, changing my story from what had come before to any possibilities that lay in front of me. I feel like I’ve really managed to squeeze every last drop of the year, and that is 100% down to trying something new every day. Watching the sunrise and sunset on the last day of the year seemed like a fitting way to celebrate that.
I walked down to the river with my husband in the dark, stopping by a favourite bakery to pick up some of their famous cinnamon rolls to celebrate with. We must have been a little delayed as, by the time we got to the river, the sky was already turning pink, but as we found the perfect spot on a bridge we were treated to the most beautiful and vibrant colours starting to light up our city.
It was so beautiful. I felt extremely lucky and grateful in that moment, to be happy and healthy, watching the warmth spread across the sky.
The sunset was a little bit different.
During the day we’d had some rain and snow and although it was dry when we went out, it was cloudy. We were clearly not the only ones with this idea, as there were a lot of people on the bridge taking pictures, but it was all a bit underwhelming as we couldn’t see the sunset at all.
To be honest, I’d expected this, and as my husband said, it’s all about balance. Still, as the sky grew darker and the lights of the city started to twinkle, I had a little happy thought: I’d done it. Something new, every day, for a whole year. I’m so proud of myself, but most of all I’m grateful for all the experiences I’ve had, especially considering what else is going on in the world.
So dear reader, that is the end, my last challenge. It’s been quite a ride, and I hope you’ve enjoyed following along. I will continue doing new things next year, just not every day – at this point, it’s hard to stop! Thank you for reading, and I wish you a very happy and healthy new year!
New Day, New Thing 