It is fair to say that 2020 was a challenge for all of us, for obvious reasons. That said, some of us wanted 2020 to be remembered for something other than well…. you know….
Matouš Dzivjak – Ironman
With the schools closed and some spare time on my hands, I decided to train for an Ironman. A fairly daunting task consisting of a 180 km bike ride, a full marathon and a 3.86 km swim…. In one day!
During my preparation, I managed to complete my first marathon(42km). A few months later (and after only a handful of swimming sessions) I completed my first half-Ironman. This consisted of a 1.8km swim, 90km bike ride and a 21km run! The training brought a lot of variety into an otherwise boring do-everything-from-home schedule due to the restrictions. Now the date of the full Ironman race is slowly approaching. However, the swimming pools are closed, the weather isn’t really suitable for bike training sessions, but the motivation is still there and I am looking forward to competing and giving it my all. The full Ironman will no doubt challenge me both physically and mentally.
Iva Doležel Jurjev – wedding bells
I got engaged on January 1, at the stroke of midnight, and decided on a wedding date almost immediately. When the pandemic hit we were pretty nervous and stressed. We decided that, no matter what – and with or without friends and family! – we’d tie the knot on September 12. Fortunately, everything turned out great and we had the wedding we always wanted. My family came to Brno from Croatia and my friends came from as far as the Netherlands to experience what was such a romantic and emotional day. Even though there was a relatively large group of people, everyone managed to stay love-positive and Covid negative!
Pavlína Schuster – an unexpected hobby
The thought of sewing my own clothes had never crossed my mind, but 2020 changed that. My wife is a slow fashion advocate and wanted to take a sewing course for quite some time, so I tagged along. That was just before lockdown. Long story short, now we own a sewing machine, and I find myself obsessively checking every piece of clothing I own to see how I can duplicate it and sew it myself!
Jakub Jäger – a furry four-legged friend
I’ve always been surrounded by my family dogs but as soon as I moved out to live on my own in 2019 I had no pooch to keep me company. At the beginning of 2020, I saw an advertisement from a shelter of the most adorable puppy that was found wandering somewhere on the Slovak roads. I took her immediately without hesitation. Her name is Valkyrie and even though we get on each other’s nerves sometimes we adore each other. I guess you could say it is unconditional love!
Julia Gumeniuk – moving to a new city
After 8 years of living in the second biggest city of the Czech Republic, Brno, I finally made my dream come true and moved to the country’s capital – Prague. The move wasn’t the easiest, the longer we remained in one spot, the more difficult it was to up and relocate. I had to get used to the hectic big city life, constant noise outside, and the messy streets. However, the capital is full of opportunities, new people and has some great places to visit. Ultimately, I’m happy with the decision!
Michaela Bednarská – the proposal!
None of us ever expected to be locked away at home for an entire season. My boyfriend is a manager at Kiwi and sometimes works long hours. There were evenings when I was left alone with only a glass of wine for company. It was a testing time for many, especially couples. Some relationships didn’t survive the lockdown. However, in my case every cloud has a silver lining, and 2020 was the year my ‘other-half’ unexpectedly proposed to me and that made the year a cause for celebration. I accepted!
Helena Torres – finished 5 trainings
I will never forget 2020! I managed to finish 5 trainings: Reiki, Tarot reading, others connected with energetic healing and meditation. Those trainings changed my perception of the world, of what matters. Now, I am finishing the training for my Coaching certificate, specialising in Happiness and Well Being. I guess 2020, for me, was about happiness. 🙂
We hope that all of you managed to glean some positives from 2020. Roll on 2021. Stay safe and Happy New Year!