2020 Year in Review

 2020 was a year unlike any other.  COVID-19.  Our first time experiencing a world pandemic.  Working from home.  eLearning.  Sheltering in place.  Staying home & staying safe.  Although I didn't have the opportunity to travel extensively, much of what I keep track of and enjoy continued from home in my own little part of the world.  Books.  Music.  Craft beer.  As always, I like to bring that information together here for myself.  

My word 'explore' definitely took on new meaning throughout 2020.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sherry Gick ; (@sherryngick)

🌎My travel happened at the beginning of the year, pre-COVID, when I had the opportunity to visit both Salt Lake City, Utah (Google CS First Train the Trainer) and Miami, Florida for the first time (FETC!).  I will never forget my last work trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan for MACUL when the state shut down & we drove home early discussing COVID-19.  

📚As a reader for 2 separate Indiana book committees, YHBA:  Picture Books & Eliot Rosewater (YA), much of my reading encompassed these two genres.  My complete list of books read in 2020 may be found here.  Besides committee reading, there was definite escapism into books with romance & fantasy genres.  Our book club continued to meet during 2020 virtually and then socially distanced & masked; some of my favorites were read and discuss with these friends.  

 

My favorite book of the year was:  

Wrapped up the year with this gem:   

🍻Many of the books I read were paired with a delicious beverage.  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sherry Gick ; (@sherryngick)

Untappd helped me keep track of those too.  Thanks to Tavour, I was able to sample beers from breweries all around the nation without leaving my house!  

🎶Music, as always, was a big part of my life in 2020.  My 2020 top songs may not have very many new releases (except for Taylor Swift's Folklore 😍), but this was the soundtrack that got me through the year.

📺2020 was definitely the year for binge watching.  My son & I had devoured several series together and a few I appreciated all on my own.  (I'm guessing they're pretty easily distinguishable...)

2020... a year to remember.