2020 you crazy b****. That is the first thought which comes to my mind when I think about the past year. 2020 was an absolute roller coaster with many many ups and downs. Little did I know at the beginning of 2020 what it would hold in store for me and the rest of the world. Actually, at the beginning of 2020 I was very optimistic that it is going to be a great year and I considered myself very lucky and happy. Then everything turned very fast; January and February felt in some way very awkward to me. I had an indescribable feeling inside me that everything felt so mundane and nothing special is happening. Something similar like the stillness before the storm.
Then Friday, 13th March 2020 happened. It was one of the strangest days in my life, hence I’ll never forget it. There was this feeling of the unknown, worriness, speculations and missing toilet paper in the air. I flew from Vienna since I was not ready yet to face the whole situation on my own. The next two months until beginning of May were one of the hardest ones for me. Not only did I have to find a way coping with the pandemic and social distancing, I also went through a heart break. It felt as if I was waking up from a nightmare and a fake universe which I had created in my own head (Sidenote: I am a very big dreamer at that end). There was also this feeling of cutting open my ribcage, stabbing a knife into my heart and tearing it apart. Hence, my heart cracked into a million pieces. But, I put it all together again piece by piece and step by step.
Spring and summer were really really really lovely. Even though, Covid-19 was still among us, it felt almost like normality. I spent so much time with my friends, had an amazing birthday and went on two nice trips with my Mom.
At times I felt lonely, since social distancing and living on my own kept on challenging me in 2020. But I found ways to cope with both. I finally joined the gym and discovered group workouts for me. In general, I worked a lot on my physical health and I am very proud of myself that I come so far last year. Sports is really what keeps me sane in times of these! I am also very much looking forward to continuing pushing me outside my comfort zone in 2021 yet again.
Since I spent lots of time on my own, I also reflected a lot; especially on human behaviour. It is very interesting to see why people do this or that; why people react this way; etc. I dare say that I improved my knowledge on human nature significantly. As a consequence, I do not take things as personal anymore as I used to. I am a very sensitive person though and I think everyone has to find out for themselves how to cope with the world and its ‘cruelty’.
In the midst of December, something totally unexpected happened; my boss suddenly decided to leave the firm. Her leaving made me question my career path for a moment. I asked myself then what brings me most joy and what keeps me going. The answer was crystal clear to me, taxes. I’ve been occupied by them for more than five years; throughout my studies and now in my professional life. Also, I’ve fallen very much in love with the tax advisor profession and my life at PwC Austria. My work gives me lots of energy (usually, when I’m not overworked) and I really really fucking love working with taxes. Gimme all your taxes and I’ll be the happiest bossbabe. If you ever need tax advice, reach out to me!
Wrapping up 2020, I would not want to change a lot in 2021. In a certain way 2020 was a very good year since it taught me many lifelong lessons and it enhanced my growth immensely, personally and professionally. 2020 made me a stronger and calmer person and I consider myself very lucky where I am now at. Hence, I would like to keep growing and give my best every single day. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to this Corona mess to hopefully be over soon, to going into the unknown yet again and to making new memories. And maybe along the way I’m also finding my person to share them with. In the end, love conquers them all.
Happy new year!
Love, Lisa
Hi, I’m Lisa
