Well, that was something amirite?
I began 2021 expecting that it would just be 2020 Jr. I figured okay, another year of not going anywhere and just being inside and scared of the damn Covid.
Thankfully – I was wrong about some parts of this.
Covid is still scary. Look at us, so many cases and no damn PCR tests. Still very scary. I think more people have Omicron right now than they do Instagram pages.
With all of that, I actually had an amazing 2021. The literal first day of 2021 I moved into my new apartment. I fled the studio/bachelor I had lived in for ten years and moved into a two bedroom in downtown Toronto. With two people doing the whole ‘work from home’ stuff, the space that this new spot has afforded us is blessed. I am so thankful we managed to land the space. Great beginning to 2021.
I really spent the majority of the year just working and then working some more. I was fortunate to have both of my jobs considered essential. Another awesome part to 2021.
For most of winter and then into spring all I did was work, and when the opportunity to get vaccinated came up I WAS IN THAT LINE ASAP. I was fully vaxxed by the beginning of June, yay me. Not so yay for my arm for a couple of days, but it’s fine. I survived.
When summer came, I was able to make my first getaway in a long time. My two best friends and I flew to Banff, Alberta for the Canada Day long weekend. It was so refreshing to be able to leave Toronto, even if it was only for a few days. Banff is beautiful and if you read the blog post for it, you’ll see all the good food I ate and my stories of definitely not being fit enough for all that hiking.
After Banff I had some pretty cool experiences in Toronto as well. I ate a LOT of good food (which you can always go see on my food TikTok), I went to a big party called Soca or Die and we even rented a yacht to celebrate my friend Jummy’s birthday.
Then, one of the coolest things ever happened to me in August.
I was contacted to appear on Breakfast Television to discuss solo female travel. MEEEEEEEEE. IMAGINE? MEEEEEE.
That experience was awesome, and I had my friends sending me photos of the segment showing on the large billboard in the center of Toronto. I felt on top of the world that day. Never thought I would have such an incredible opportunity. If you want to see the segment, you can find that here.
Now we get to September, and there was a scheme afoot that I had formulated earlier in the year. I was going to Aruba, but no one knew I was going to Aruba. Why? Because the point of the trip was to surprise my mom there, who was going on her 65th birthday trip to Aruba.
I succeeded! She was totally surprised (after she finished cussing) and we had an amazing time in Aruba. I really loved the island and the local people, and of course, the beaches! It felt really good to be visiting a Caribbean island again, and to be out of Canada during all the Covid shenanigans.
So I get back from Aruba and I have this BIG next trip planned. For my 35th birthday in December I wanted to go to Egypt with my boyfriend. For my 30th I had been in Bali (first time in Asia) and for my 35th I wanted to go to another continent I hadn’t visited yet. I was soooo darn excited. This was going to be the bestest baecation – we had booked our flights to Cairo and then Sharm el Sheikh, our all inclusive in Sharm, and then a sick tour in Cairo on the return.
LOL – Omicron.
Damn you Omicron. Let me tell you about this bum ass bitch named Omicron. Two weeks before our trip, Canada decides to list ten countries in Africa that you would have to quarantine eight days on return from – yes, EGYPT IS ON THE LIST. Fuck. Neither of us were trying to quarantine during the Christmas holidays so we made the crummy decision to cancel our Egypt trip.
Now, there is absolutely no damn way I was going to just be in cold ass Canada for my 35th birthday. Oh heck no. So we decided to rebook and instead of 11 days in Egypt we would go do one week in Jamaica to visit my boyfriends family and still get some beach time in.
I haven’t written that recap yet, and it’ll be out later this week. Why? Because I have been just relaxing and doing a whole bunch of nothing. I liked doing nothing for once. Just know, the trip was super fun.
This is where I will also mention that in the middle of our Jamaica trip, the Canadian government said ‘lol never mind‘ and took those ten countries off the mandatory 8-day quarantine requirement. We literally could have still gone to Egypt. That was the cherry on top on how annoyed I have been with the travel rules in this country.
Overall, still a totally kick ass 2021. There were some annoying things that happened (YES YOU OMICRON) – but I really can’t complain. I was able to take three trips and come back with negative PCR tests for the two international ones. Thank God.
I have a trip to Antigua planned for February and another trip to Miami in the spring. I hope they happen, but at this point who knows. I’m also hoping to use my British Airways credits and try to get to Egypt in 2022, maybe the second time will be the charm.
Hope all of you reading had an equally awesome 2021 and I wish you health, wealth and travel for allll of 2022 and beyond!
- Mirna