Five-Year Recap: Pandemic Whirlwind

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since we first went into lockdown from the pandemic. 

I know, I know, we’re ALL over it. And here I am bringing it up again. 

Well for me it’s been a crazy five years, a mix of hardship AND happiness. 

2020

On the same day that it was announced it would be our last day in the office—we were going into lockdown—I discovered I was pregnant. I was 39 years old and had never before been in a place where having a child made sense. 

The idea grew on me over the coming weeks and I got excited. Then at 11 weeks I miscarried. It was traumatic physically and mentally—I ended up in the hospital where I had to go through everything alone. Hospital lockdown rules were pretty strict. 

I was so surprised by how much it affected me. I went into a deep depression and my drinking got worse. Having support and a good therapist was what got me through it all. 

After the low of that ordeal I went through a high period as I got engaged in September. Reflecting back now I wouldn’t say 2020 was a horrible year, but rather a challenging one that also had happiness sprinkled in. 

2021

In June of 2021—having waited since January 2020 for a CT-scan—it was discovered that I had cancer in my appendix. I waited for several days to hear what the extent of it was, and what next steps were. During those days I vividly recall how everything seemed to change. 

As I sat out on my patio I thought about all the scary What If’s. And at the same time I could hear every bird chirping, I could feel the sun as it soaked my face, and I could smell the trees. I felt an immense sense of gratitude and love, while simultaneously feeling terrified that it might all go away. 

I had surgery in July to remove my appendix—the surgeon said it was a close call as my appendix was very close to rupturing, which would have spread the cancer throughout my abdomen—and the outcome was triumphant. No tears or leaks in the appendix; crisis averted. Phew.

2022

Having postponed our wedding from 2021 due to the pandemic being much longer than the two weeks it was originally anticipated to be, I got married. It was small and intimate, and it was one of my most favorite days ever.

Having previously been married for 11 years—and miserable for most of it—how sweet it was to have found a true partner in every sense of the word. I had spent a lot of time and effort (and thousands of kilometers of travel!) healing and learning to love myself so that I would no longer choose relationships that were harmful and toxic. 

2023

The first several months of the year were very stressful with work—a lot of travel and a very heavy workload. I was on the fast-track to burning out.

Then in April I completed my dual coaching certification and went all in on my own business! What a whirlwind—so much excitement and fear all rolled into a knot in my stomach. It took months and months of hard work but it eventually started to pay off.

Every single day I consciously show gratitude for the ability to do the work that I love so much, while simultaneously helping people. It never feels like work and yet the reward is immeasurable. 

2024

ALL the highs and lows of my first full year running a business as a solopreneur. There were MANY days I had to turn my coaching onto myself to manage all of the stress and self-talk and imposter syndrome. I discovered the coaching part is easy—the business part is hard. 

But I have a lot of support and thanks to my home life being peaceful and drama-free, I can put all of my focus into helping as many people as possible and growing my business in the direction it needs to go in. 

2025

We’re at the end of March now and the year has already been off to a great start! The people I’ve met—some of whom have become friends—and the work I’ve been doing just feels right. 

Two years ago I chose a niche that didn’t work out. And that’s okay! It’s all a learning process. The niche I’m focusing on now is working and feels true to the work I’m passionate about. I’m so excited for the coming months, and also for all of the opportunities I don’t even know about yet! What an adventure!

So the recap of the last five years for me is this: I experienced pain and I experienced joy, and through it all I’ve learned amazing lessons. Everything happened for a reason, even if I couldn’t see it at the time. 

If you take anything away from this, I hope it’s that even in the depths of fear and pain there can be so much value in the resilience you build while working through it; those lessons can last a lifetime and help you move towards a path you hadn’t even considered. 

I regret nothing. “I never lose. Either I win or I learn.”