Hindsight is, of course, 2020.

If you listen to the chorus of social media, you'll probably hear a resounding "thank God and good riddance," sentiment about the departure of 2020. For good reason, no doubt, given the hardship this year has delivered. In the best case, people found themselves adjusting to the new normal, and in the worst case, people lost things they may never get back. Family. Friends. Businesses. Homes. Comfortable ways of life were upended in ways that might never return.

Among the noise, my sister (bless her) posted the following:

I like this. Hopefully even those who experienced hardship are able to walk away from 2020 with something to smile about. There is goodness all around, even if it means finding a silver lining.

I had just moved in December 2019 and I was hardly settled into my new place when the pandemic started to grip San Francisco. We made a comfortable living being indoor kids: baking bread, sharing meals, mixing cocktails, playing games, watching movies, etc. However, it wasn't long before my roommates became worried for their jobs and, thus, means to afford an expensive San Francisco apartment.

By the time June arrived, they had made it clear that it was their intention to depart San Francisco by the end of the month, and I would be on my own to either fill their rooms or find a new home—both not-exactly-ideal options in the middle of a pandemic. My new-found living arrangement was about to come to an abrupt end. Within a week, the house was full of moving boxes, and furniture began to disappear from the living room. My safe, COVID-free haven was crumbling.

Simultaneously, some old friends were preparing for a roadtrip. It had been in the works for a while, and it was a trip that I had been invited on, but had not really given much thought, as I was quite comfortable in my home. Besides, staying put in one of the most precautious cities in the nation seemed wise, especially as infection rates spiked nation wide. After explaining how my accommodations were falling apart, my friend Raj simply said, "You're coming on the road trip—you just haven't reached that conclusion yet."

So I leaned into the opportunity that life presented. I put my apartment in storage and embraced the nomad life. While it was not the year I envisioned (or planned), 2020 provided. I got to explore the great american backyard, which is something I've wanted to do, but not something that ever took priority or more far-flung destinations. I also got to reconnect with a hobby I more or less ignored since college: photography.

I also found a new hobby in cocktail making—there's a lot more to booze than I ever gave credit for. I got to make cocktails and cocktail ingredients that lit up my friends' faces up with delight. And—speaking of friends—I got to live with my friends for basically the entire year(!). I grew closer to them. I got to know them better. I got to know myself better. I got lonely. I got excited. I drove too many miles in a day. I got jazzed about travel. I got tired of travel. I got too drunk some nights, and too high other nights. I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes that the United States had to offer. I got to see the motherfucking milky way with my naked eye, and it was bright and beautiful. And I had a lot of fun doing it. All of it.

Of course, I was (and still am) extraordinarily lucky to be so well positioned to make the most of 2020, and extremely blessed that my family has fared so well, so far. Despite the "don't let the door hit you on the way out," tone of social media towards 2020, I'd be remiss to ignore the fruit provided in lieu.

As a new year dawns, a there is a lot of be hopeful for in 2020. However, hopefully 2020 was not completely lost for you, reader. What did you like most about 2020?