This was the year I was finally going to visit Scotland, having convinced one of my best friends to join me on one of my bucket list vacations.

My original dream many years ago was to take a year sabbatical to write quirky mystery novels while living in a small country home in Northern England, and having an abundance of time to explore England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. I figured a year wouldn’t be enough, but I wouldn’t be greedy.

When I realized my sabbatical dream was not a practical reality yet, I decided to start planning vacations to visit each area, one by one, probably over the course of five to 10 years, or until the sabbatical was back on the table.

First stop: Scotland! In December and January, the excitement of planning a vacation set in. Coordinating schedules, discussing must-see highlights, planning as many hikes as possible, fine-tuning the budget, and outlining possible itineraries.

2020 had other plans!

But, life goes on. Things may not play out the way we want, but we often can make the best of them. This is not everything has a silver-lining jargon. It by no means is a miraculous recipe to alleviate trauma, illness, or other serious challenges. It is, however, a mindset that can help us get through, and even thrive, during difficult times.

So, in the spirit of making the most out of these bizarre times, I decided to schedule a few long weekends and scattered days off to enjoy the second half of the year — using my PTO to the max — hiking, cooking, baking, reading, writing, spending time with family, taking online courses, and setting aside me time!

Everyone enjoys life differently. I’m looking forward to better days for us all, but let’s make the most out of what we can till then. Discover what you love — what makes you happy and keeps you grounded — and do more of it, especially now, when our lives have been turned upside down.