After leaving Iceland we headed to Scandinavia.

I posted photos from both Stockholm and Copenhagen.

On our last two days in Iceland we wandered around Reykyavik.

Here are my pictures from that day.

On our third day in Iceland we drove for a while to reach Diamond Beach.

Here are my pictures from that day.

On our second day in Iceland we visited many waterfalls, some black sand beaches, and a glacier.

Here are my pictures from that day.

On day 1 of my year off Europe trip I flew from NYC to Iceland with 2 of my friends.

Here are my pictures from that day.

Okay one is from 2019 but it was almost 2020 and it’s where my 2020 began so it counts.

Every sunset is different. But occasionally a sunset stands out. Sometimes a sunset changes from minute to minute. Other times it continues long after dusk. One thing remains consistent: the sun will always rise tomorrow.

I spent a lot of time with my parents' dog, Denali, in 2020.

Denali is an 8 year old Vizsla. He still has a lot of puppy energy. He loves to run, sleep in, and paddle board.

One of the most useful lessons I learned on my year off was to live presently; no matter what is going on, to be mindful of what I am feeling and to listen to what those feelings are telling me. That skill was valuable throughout 2020 as I had to deal with lockdown and the nonstop stream of unfortunate news. The entire year felt like my anxiety and depression Super Bowl. I’ve been learning how to manage, learning how to sit with my feelings, learning how to be alone and okay.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t difficult. Just look at what I let happen to my facial hair. But I took time to enjoy the small things and even learned some new things. And hopefully 2021 will bring slivers of hope and progress.

At the end of our week in Moab it was time to pack up and head back to Florida. Our first stop was Denver, to drop John off at the airport so he could fly home. I spent the next few days driving back, stopping in Missouri, Tennessee, and Alabama.

On day four in Moab I drove into Arches National Park. I didn’t hike any of the long trails but I stopped by as many arches as I could.