2021 Reflection

With 2020 gone, 2021 brought with it a new wave of optimism to the American people. Life-changing vaccines would help to slow the rate of deaths brought on by the novel coronavirus. Things started going back to normal in some ways, but still remained unchanged in many others. The advent of the “Delta” and “Omicron” variants pushed back into focus that life was still not completely going to go back to normal for us all, and we had to seemingly adapt to a new physical and mental landscape. I did not react too positively to all 3 dosages of the vaccine, it effectively putting me out of commission for a few days after each one, and yet I’m grateful for the opportunity they brought me into trying to do things “normally” once more.

My health deterioritated a bit this year due to high cholesterol levels. As a result, I transitioned to eating brown rice instead of white rice, cutting back a bit on red meat, and going to the gym a bit more frequently.

I transitioned school districts this year from the Lynwood Unified School District to finally relocating back to Orange County with the Anaheim Union High School District. Teaching online was super easy and relaxing, but I was never really passionate about the experience. In the end, teaching in person comes with its own peaks and valleys. The peaks being able to build positive relationship with students in person and being able to execute a lesson with most students actively engaged (and not sleeping). The downsides of course remain dealing with classroom management and a fraction of the class that chooses not to comply, in addition to now having to teach with a mask on. This year in particular, I’ve felt more tired than I have ever been. Maybe it’s because I teach 6 classes this year instead of the usual 5. Maybe it’s the extra efforts I have to take to tell students to “put on their mask”. Or maybe it’s just I’m getting older now and have less energy to teach as excitedly as before. Or maybe I’m over teaching middle schoolers. Who knows? I’ll finish out the year with the same level of effort and energy and decide what to do from there. I would say I still like about 95% of my students though.

2021 gave me the opportunity to reconnect with friends I was unable to see or saw very infrequently the previous year due to coronavirus. In the end, you are able to easily determine which friends are important to you by seeing who bothered to reach out to you after a life-changing year. I’m grateful for my friends and family members still during all these troubled times.

And yet, what I’m most grateful for is the relationship cultivated with Katherine. We went to three domestic “trips” this year to Palm Springs and Las Vegas, and had the opportunity to celebrate all holidays and anniversaries together. We went on new experiences together as well, including seeing live music together (Ed Sheeran), taking a cooking class, getting caricatures drawn of us, two weddings, and getting our letters permanenty inked on ourselves. She’s been supportive of me throughout everything this year, and I’m grateful for the love she’s given me thus far. Thank you for continuing to be awesome through all the annoying things I’ve done this year.

Overall 2021 was an improvement over 2020, and I hope 2022 can build on those improvements and make a even better, happier, and healthier year with many more memories to come.