Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021!

Life

Dec 22

This last year has been unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Full of new challenges, new opportunities, and lots of important lessons. Meg here! I decided to round up John and Jenn (our developers) to reflect on 2020 and what we’re looking forward to in the year ahead. Here we go!

1. What did you learn in 2020?

Jenn - My wife and I hit the road in our RV this fall. There is so much to explore here in the US, and the beauty of hidden gems like places we saw in Utah are way better than some of the far away places we couldn't visit this year. It was nice to reconnect with the country we live in while traveling some 6,000 miles in October. I learned if your marriage can survive driving over high mountain passes pulling 8,000lbs with two dogs in the backseat you're lucky. Exploring new adventures always seems to strengthen our relationship as one of us can always rise to the occasion when the other is scared, anxious or exhausted. At the end and during the adventures, we always learn new things about ourselves and each other, and as always, we find tons of good food and friends along the way.

Meg - I’m with Jenn, I really missed travel this year but am thankful we were still able to have some adventures close to home in Colorado and New Mexico. Being out in nature has been really restorative with everything going on during the pandemic, politically, with social justice, and all of the other huge things happening this year. I felt like we really got our home life nailed down in terms of updating my home office, figuring out our garage gym, and how to get local produce delivered each week.

I’ve also been so impressed with how many small businesses (and nonprofits) rose to the occasion this year, pivoting and figuring out creative solutions to all of the restrictions. I’ve really enjoyed helping several businesses start taking online bookings and sell things online for the first time.

John - I’ve enjoyed the extra time at home and have been diving into learning new technologies, including ASP.Net Core, Azure Functions, Azure Devops, Azure Pipelines, Azure Table Storage, and Azure SQL Server. I’m trying to take the extra time to do something that will help Future John and improve my skillset in the long run.

2. What are you ready to leave behind from this year?

Jenn - I'm not sure I want to leave anything behind per se. I think everything that has happened this year is a lesson and/or a part of our history. If I had to choose one thing, I think it'd be the division in our communities and country as a whole. We need to find more of a middle ground and that starts at a community level. Hopefully, we can leave this behind in 2020 and move toward a more united front in our communities to start effecting positive change for all people.

John - The election and COVID. They have been this kind of constant stressor in our lives every day, and I’m ready to turn the page.

Meg - I’m cautiously optimistic about 2021, and ready to leave behind so many of the hardships from this year, both personally and things we’ve experienced as a collective. It feels a little like the tide is changing and I hope that we can learn from everything we’ve gone through in 2020 and move forward with more kindness, as well as get out of survival mode.

3. What are you most looking forward to in 2021?

Jenn - I'm looking forward to new adventures with my wife this coming year. We haven't made any definite plans, but I see more travelling in our future here in the US to see family and friends. I always look forward to my cooking endeavors as well. Each year I pick a cuisine I've never learned and pick a few meals to learn. This year I'll attempt my hand at learning some of my favorite Thai recipes!

John - Hopefully a return to some semblance of normalcy (and new video games 😅). I’ve missed restaurants, the gym, movie theaters…same as everyone else. I’m looking forward to seeing Due West Design really take off this year, as more people start small businesses and find ways to adapt to the changing world around us.

Meg - This business is my baby and I’m so proud that we managed to build and launch it during such a difficult year. I truly want to help people and am excited about all the potential partnerships and collaborations ahead of us in the new year. We’re already off to a great start with one brand and two web site clients who want to start the year strong. I’m also happy about the vaccine progress and hopeful that our front line workers, medical professionals, teachers, and others get some relief soon. I’m looking forward to seeing what 2021 has to bring!