This year because with the biannual international rugby tour - Mark and I took some early vacation to visit England and Wales (during Brexit no less) at the end of January/beginning of February. We then flew down to Stuttgart, staying with one of Mark's college friends and his family for a few days before driving down to Switzerland (and Liechtenstein!) for a wintry wonderland of Alps, snow, and cheese. Little did we know that was the last flight I would take in 2020.
Then Alisa and I were headed to Uruguay for our spring break - on March 13th. On March 12th, as the NBA canceled games, and European flights were halted, we decided that international travel wasn't a good idea, and we spent the week staycationing at her place in Pittsburgh, painting and planning her remodel.
And we and the world pivoting from thinking about the future to thinking about the present. This is where gratitude begins - not only did Mark and my jobs continue, Mark got an increase in responsibility with a new position as a program transition lead. I transitioned to fully remote, and, when our roommate Vivek moved out in May, I got to move out of our bedroom to make the spare room an office to myself! It took Mark until early November to move off the dining room table for the 3+ days a week he works from home. Since the summer, he's been spending the other days at his masked, socially distanced, partial capacity office.
From there, our gratitude extends to our friends and family. We became close with our neighbors, doing weekly outdoor meals with them from April until we couldn't stand the cold in November. A weekly D&D campaign turned virtual, and continued into July. A women's book club started in March and is still going strong. The family reunion for my mom's side turned virtual in July. After quarantining for two weeks, my sister Valerie and I drove to visit our my dad's mom in Milwaukee. (Not grateful for the flat tire and COVID tests on the way home.)
Oh, and games. Mark and I have worked our way through Klank! legacy, and started both Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion and My City. You'd think we'd have played everything after being mostly home for most of year, but you would be underestimating the collection.
In June, though, it was clear that gratitude wasn't enough. With the death of George Floyd and the protests that began, it was time to turn our gratitude (and privilege) into action. Joining and volunteering with local anti-racism groups, donating to organizations across the country, reading books, and monitoring what I was consuming online - my passion for inclusion has manifested into action. And what is gratitude but the precursor to understand where we are strong, where we have support, and thus where we can make a difference?
I am grateful this year, and I am grateful for this year, because it is another step in the journey for justice, the movement toward equality, and the cause of change. Don't stop the fight,
Corinne (and Mark)
