goodbye year, goodbye

what can i say about this year before it disappears into the history books? with only a couple more days left of 2020, i am feeling grateful. unlike hundreds of thousands of others, i survived. beyond that, i was gifted with the privilege of working from home so, unlike millions more, i continued to maintain a livelihood (and for the first time ever: a savings account). this allowed me to support mutual aid efforts during the initial lockdowns in march through the racial justice uprisings in the summer and through the current moment that is still so precarious for so many. and i also feel lucky that instead of paralyzing social isolation i have been able to embrace this as an opportunity to slow down and just take care of myself. instead of being constantly on the move with daily events or social obligations, i've been able to sleep and read more. and i finally started playing guitar again. this social transformation has forced us all to put everything into perspective and to value what truly matters. or at least i'd like to hope so. 

as we look back on this unforgettable year, we also look forward to 2021. i'm excited to spend the next 3 months immersed in a new zine project about turning 40. it will mostly be a reflection of this past decade, of my 30s, since 360 months was published. the goal is to have it all finished and printed by april 1st and then celebrate my 40th birthday later that week with an online release reading and discussion. instead of feeling anxious or sad about getting older, of being "over the hill," i want to embrace this new era and honor people in their 40s who have inspired me. growing up is still awesome. 

and i don't know where i would be at this point without music. all the songs i discovered or revisited these past 12 months have really helped me get through 2020. i'm looking forward to making more playlists in the year ahead and sharing them with the people i love. here's my end of the year playlist featuring some of favorites released this past year: goodbye 2020, goodbye.