How's Your Year Been? (2020)

Buckley

Buckley

Well-Known Member
Last year here:

How's Your Year Been? (2019)

Last Year: https://forum.ibiza-spotlight.com/threads/hows-your-year-been-2018.78732/ I'll come back to mine and update this post when I get a chance, but it's always worked to give people most of December to contribute. E2A: I'll start at the most recent happening - I gave up drinking alcohol...
forum.ibiza-spotlight.com forum.ibiza-spotlight.com

Well, now we're in December, I can say it could have turned out a lot worse. The real impact of the Corona situation for my family was that my Dad's long stint in hospital, most of the summer, had to be completely without visitors. On top of nearly losing him to some post-op complications, the isolation sent him batty. Temporarily, luckily and it's now quite amusing to recall the batshit latenight calls accusing Gary Neville of using his mobile, if not so much the paranoia that made him fear the nurses were trying to kill him. But the stubborn old git held out and is now back at home, back to himself and even back to driving my mum to the shops.

I guess other big impact was on the mental health of some folks I know. People who would have scoffed at obviously false conspiracy theories a year ago, were under enough pressure of change to believe them. Bright, educated people giving credence to pure fantasy. Again, like my Dad's situation, we seem to have turned the corner on the worst of it.

My kids have coped pretty well, though I can't say we did much homeschooling when schools were shut. Youngest has just started at a really good private school and is finally getting the education his hyper-intelligence needs. Oldest is much happier in his new additional needs school and having really gone in on the LA to get what he needs, he's quite happy getting picked up and dropped off each day, in a nice Mercedes cab with his own personal chaperone.

Had a few holidays cancelled and refunded, including a July trip to Ibiza, but that's no big deal, considering others have lost everything. Hoping we all get a negative on the CoVID tests that are sat in a wardrobe here, so our Xmas trip to Tenerife is a go-er.

Hope all of us here can find some light in the darkness and I thank everyone here for the chat and the light relief. Here's hoping next year will be easier, for the island too, for the good of our friends here at Spotlight.

E2A: Also, my giving up drinking has been transformational. If any Spotlighters are struggling with something seemingly unrelated, give it a go and see what superpowers you discover.

So.....how was it for you?
 
Don Simon

Don Simon

Well-Known Member
Not an @ lister but here's my 10 cents: I'm in the vulnerable group; age, weight and diabetic, ok at the moment until those scandi insulin imports are delayed at the ports. I worry about people in my family who have houses in Hungary and Poland and who live and work in Ireland and Germany.
This year had many cancellations on hols but kept replacing, managed a fair bit of time in Fuerteventura, closed off from everything, bliss! Got back to UK, Lockdown! somehow managed a couple of unexpected fortnights in Kos, half sane again I got through ok I guess....Praise our rulers!!
 
chez

chez

Active Member
luckily our year has gone considerably better than it could of gone..

although we have had many events / festivals cancel we did manage to get some in early doors into the year and all others booked we have managed to either get a refund or a roll over so thankful for that as that's probably the only part of the year where we have struggled the most as its a pretty big part of our lives (which really isn't a big deal at all in the grand scheme of things seems people have had massive heartbreaks)

holiday side we have had some cancel yes but have also managed to change them to corridor destinations so we have gotten away quiet a few times this year to places which we would never have done otherwise which has been good
missing Ibiza for the first time in a decade was noticeably shit but one of those things.

health wise we have stuck to our usual really we have still managed to get on our long walks, and if anything we have drank less this year with not being out as much

home life has improved massively. we have gotten all kinds of jobs done that have been on the back burner for too long so really pleased with that,

work has been manic throughout which I feel more than fortunate for and even a little guilty seeing as thought some of our friends have lost jobs, in turmoil over uncertainty whilst getting over time here is a bit of a bitter sweet one on that front

we have gotten our longed after first family pet so over the moon for that

as much as this year has been utterly grim I personally can't complain as im in no right to. I'm very lucky tbh and I have a massive sense of that every day

that being said I am ready for see what the new year brings and just hoping the rest of the world can get back to action
 
diver

diver

Well-Known Member
craig72 said:
Cold showers for me best advice I got on here ever.. . Well done. anyone gave up things that were a problem alcohol and cigarettes probably the hardest so well done.
Sorry for people with small business or losing work because of the C word and for people living in big cities , London, Madrid, Manchester, Dublin ect must be a fckn nightmare ☹ spent 3 nts in the CITY where my folks still live and it was hell on Earth, lots of work around here at the moment with lots of building and contracters looking for labourers for all kinds of muleky work... Pubs opened Friday I haven't been down yet but I will be at 1pm GMT to meet the Sunday club.. to hear what wild hedonistic things I missed all weekend .. as deep dish said before they went trance "Stay Gold" Everybody .. folks are healthy. Mother work couple of days in a bread shop, father works full time in old folks home,kids one in school one collage and part-time work.. Mrs is at the moment making Christmas cards to send to Mount Joy prison to 3 people she knows doing a small stretch... lol
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How’s your year been though?
 
discodotty

discodotty

Active Member
This year has been an interesting year to say the least. I’m not normally someone to shout about personal achievements but this year has been an interesting one.

the Year started off looking really positive. January 2nd started a new job, 1 week after starting my job my husband decided this was a good time to say he wasn’t happy with us, We decided we were going to work on our marriage. I Set about making changes that I hoped would help. Giving each other more spaces, doing things desperately with friends etc etc.

lockdown hit, on the day work announced we were working from home full time, he decided that we should split up properly feelings weren’t changing. The next few months were tough to say the least being locked in a house with someone that didn’t love me, no real friends or family close. Because I had become more withdrawn I had found it hard to make new friendships. We had a lot of conversations about what had changed and what I needed to change.

i had known for a long time that I was becoming more withdrawn socially and that I was becoming more and more obsessed with my eating habits and exercise. Walking up ro 25 km a day to cancel out the calories I was going to eat. Spending a lot of time on my own I decided it was time to do some research and everything was pointing to eating/body image problems. Being single at 40 I knew I needed to deal with my problems before I could even start to look at meeting new people. I got help through both medication to help with my mental health as well as support to work on image issues etc.

things started to improve. I started to feel more positive, changed my outlook on fitness. Bought a bike which has been great, changed what I eat introducing lots of new things I thought I hated. Went to rhodes in October and sat on a beach with out a top on for the first time in more than 10 years even ventured to the nude at beach which all felt great. I’ve made new friends along the way as well. My marriage although we are still separated we are the best of friends now having cleared a lot of things up. A lot of these maybe wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t forCOVID.
I have had lots of trips cancelled but managed to get everything back I was due to go to ibiza this year for my 40th but could do now I’m coming next year on my own and I am really excited about it.

This year has been a really challenge both on a personal note and because of the COVID situation but it has been a massive reset and ending the year feeling more positive than I have for a very long time.
 
CasaNegron

CasaNegron

Well-Known Member
It looks like most of us are making it out of 2020 in once piece, which is great. Overall it was a win for CasaNeron, as my boys are happy and healthy and wifey and I are still hot for each other.

Besides the common inconveniences of cancelled trips and masking, I really have not been impacted by the pandemic, personally. We live in a bit of a bubble here, and me more so as I didn't really venture out much (normally) as I spend most of my non-work hours with my wife and boys. On the plus side, we have found a few more like-minded families with young kids and are being more social, meeting up on weekends at the beaches which has been nice.

I have had my most productive year at work and have made some progress on one of my various side projects.

We missed the big reunion trip in May/June that would have seen both sets of grandparents and kids at Ibiza. We late tried to reschedule in August but the EU didn't want us dirty Americans hitting their shores (LOL). Anyway, my parents were able to visit us for an extended visit in July, we went to visit them for Thanksgiving. My wife's folks will be here later this month from South America until late January 2021 so that a bit of icing on the cake. My dad's cognitive condition is still progressing, but that was expected. This will require more travel back to the continent on my part in the next few years but it is worth it.

I am really looking forward to getting back to Ibiza in 2021, clubs or not.
 
SOS Sargantana

SOS Sargantana

Active Member
I posted something yesterday and then deleted it because it was a bit boring.

but then again here's the thing. it was a boring year for us (more so than a bad one) That suffocating nothingness that defined daily life whilst everything went to shit in the outer world.

being bored can lead you down a dark rabbit hole of despair but I kept busy writing or recording stuff for mixcloud, getting ever further immersed in music, reading Spanish books to improve my knowledge and a lot of splashing about in the sea. I got something published too. Took us about 3 months, a labour of love but it at least killed the time.

virtually zero social life for 90% of the year. a few friends kept in touch. others disappeared. one took his life in a canal.

in 2021 I just want to reconnect with people in real life again. there's only so much crap you can post/read/watch on the internet.

and make it across the water. as I expect we ALL do.... x
 
jimmiz

jimmiz

Well-Known Member
2020 will have been a strange year for me, as for everyone, but ultimately rather positive.
I started by losing the job of aircraft refueler for which I had fought so hard to get it.?
Then I spent the lockdown , two and a half months here, drinking rosé and eating like an ogre.?
I am lucky to live in a nice house in the countryside, so it was quite easy for us to endure this ordeal.
The summer went pretty well, we were lucky enough to be able to go to Ibiza for 3 weeks, to have a great holiday, and I know that many of you have been deprived of that.
So I measure my luck ?.
Finally, I found a decent job in September, with more time for myself (I work 4 days a week), and I finally, after several attempts, managed to quit smoking.
I am in good health, the people I love too, I would be ungrateful to complain about my situation when so many people are having a very hard year, much harder tha n mine.

For translation problems, complain to Google?
 
eclipse15

eclipse15

Active Member
Not one of the @ crew (yet), but my thoughts below:

Year started off nicely, job going well, stuff in the calendar for the year, Glastonbury, tickets to the Euros, the cricket and the F1 amongst other summertime shiz, and had a great ski holiday in March. Didn't really realise how serious this shabang was until whilst we were in the resort, they announced that everything in the resort was closing down the after we were due to leave. Big sighs for us as we got the holiday we wanted, but felt for all the lovely people that ran business out there who were now stuffed until further notice.

Anyway, got home, all hunky dory for a fortnight and then BAM! The 'rona hit mid March. And there followed the scariest fortnight of my life as I went through all the classic symptoms, but the worst bit was my breathing- there was one night where I genuinely thought I needed to call an ambulance as I could hardly breathe. Thankfully it passed, and I recovered over the course of about a fortnight.

Then we were into Lockdown 1....initially, it felt a bit of a novelty, with the WFH being different, the daily briefings, clapping and all the rest of it, and it actually worked ok for me. I'm a bit of an introvert generally and don't really like 'people', so being locked away for 8 weeks or whatever it was worked for me. However, I was feeling some of the long Covid after effects, and still am to this day- general all round tiredness, being spent by 8pm each night, it's tricky to overcome.

The summer, post restriction relaxation was pretty good really, work was going well, job remains secure (we actually have done better than expected this year), and the weather was nice. Even managed to squeeze in a day rave at Night Tales with a couple of the lads which was the most fun I've had in a long time.

Lockdown 2 though- f***ing rubbish. The combination of not being able to go out, the nights drawing in, the weather and general winterness completely stuffed me up mentally. Hard to get up, hard to get motivated, hard to concentrate. Usually, when someone says this, they would then describe how they sorted it out. However, up to now, I haven't really. I need to make some lifestyle changes, exercise, eat better, that sort of stuff, mainly to make sure that when things lift properly, I am ready to go.

Feelings for the future- hopeful. I can't see the rave I've got tickets to in March going ahead, but May onwards, I am looking to fill my time with gigs, raves, travel and live sport as much as possible. The vaccine will come to me as and when appropriate, but I have faith in the science (not the government), and see a way out of this.

Have also enjoyed getting a little more involved on here this year too, and really look forward to meeting a few of you in the coming months. I am still an island newbie, having only been 4 times in the past, but I feel that there is a much more social side that I can get involved with when allowed. Not many of my crew would ever come over, so I am hoping to widen my circle and maybe make a few good friends.

Overall, I have been very lucky, both with my health and my economic situation, so can never ever complain- there are so many people who have lost loved ones, lost jobs and livelihoods, that I cannot be anything but grateful for where I am today.
 
diver

diver

Well-Known Member
eclipse15 said:
Not one of the @ crew (yet), but my thoughts below:

Year started off nicely, job going well, stuff in the calendar for the year, Glastonbury, tickets to the Euros, the cricket and the F1 amongst other summertime shiz, and had a great ski holiday in March. Didn't really realise how serious this shabang was until whilst we were in the resort, they announced that everything in the resort was closing down the after we were due to leave. Big sighs for us as we got the holiday we wanted, but felt for all the lovely people that ran business out there who were now stuffed until further notice.

Anyway, got home, all hunky dory for a fortnight and then BAM! The 'rona hit mid March. And there followed the scariest fortnight of my life as I went through all the classic symptoms, but the worst bit was my breathing- there was one night where I genuinely thought I needed to call an ambulance as I could hardly breathe. Thankfully it passed, and I recovered over the course of about a fortnight.

Then we were into Lockdown 1....initially, it felt a bit of a novelty, with the WFH being different, the daily briefings, clapping and all the rest of it, and it actually worked ok for me. I'm a bit of an introvert generally and don't really like 'people', so being locked away for 8 weeks or whatever it was worked for me. However, I was feeling some of the long Covid after effects, and still am to this day- general all round tiredness, being spent by 8pm each night, it's tricky to overcome.

The summer, post restriction relaxation was pretty good really, work was going well, job remains secure (we actually have done better than expected this year), and the weather was nice. Even managed to squeeze in a day rave at Night Tales with a couple of the lads which was the most fun I've had in a long time.

Lockdown 2 though- f***ing rubbish. The combination of not being able to go out, the nights drawing in, the weather and general winterness completely stuffed me up mentally. Hard to get up, hard to get motivated, hard to concentrate. Usually, when someone says this, they would then describe how they sorted it out. However, up to now, I haven't really. I need to make some lifestyle changes, exercise, eat better, that sort of stuff, mainly to make sure that when things lift properly, I am ready to go.

Feelings for the future- hopeful. I can't see the rave I've got tickets to in March going ahead, but May onwards, I am looking to fill my time with gigs, raves, travel and live sport as much as possible. The vaccine will come to me as and when appropriate, but I have faith in the science (not the government), and see a way out of this.

Have also enjoyed getting a little more involved on here this year too, and really look forward to meeting a few of you in the coming months. I am still an island newbie, having only been 4 times in the past, but I feel that there is a much more social side that I can get involved with when allowed. Not many of my crew would ever come over, so I am hoping to widen my circle and maybe make a few good friends.

Overall, I have been very lucky, both with my health and my economic situation, so can never ever complain- there are so many people who have lost loved ones, lost jobs and livelihoods, that I cannot be anything but grateful for where I am today.
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I’ve enjoyed your posts this year.
I see COVID as a temporary glitch, not tgat I’m finding it easy by any stretch
 
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