It’s been a long year, and although the majority of the 2020 has been spent in lockdown or tiers, lots of memories have been made despite the weird and strange circumstances. My moments of the year aren’t all happy and jolly memories, some memories are dull, and others were somewhat life changing.
Throughout 2020 every week I filled out an ‘Achievement Log’ of the key moments and exciting moments of 2020, even in lockdown back in April. Each month there have been some keys days that I just look back on and smile.
JANUARY
The year started off by a tweet, a tweet got me a job as a runner on BBC Radio 5 Live till lockdown happened. I met some incredible people, and experienced the production side of sport radio on Fighting Talk. Thank you Charlie! I was also lucky enough to go to a NFL Super Bowl live podcast recording which again, was a pretty cool experience. So thank you Twitter.
And then there was my first football match of the year, a narrow win over Norwich for Tottenham in the Premier League… Now that feels like a lifetime ago!
FEBRUARY
After waiting 12 years, or half my life, I finally got to see The Jonas Brothers live at the O2 and it was all my childhood dreams coming alive. I lived every moment of that concert and hardly took any photos or videos, and just lived in the moment, singing and dancing to my first loves.
If you know me, you know I would never miss a chance to see Justin Bieber live, so I pre-ordered his new album and managed to get one ticket for his intimate acoustic gig at the O2. It was truly special, other that queuing up for ages outside of the O2 even if I did get in the queue five minutes before the doors opened. Little did I know a month later we would be in lock down.
A memorable night for all the wrong reasons. Tottenham lost in the Champions League last 16 home match thanks to a Werner penalty. Champions League nights are always special, but when you lose and play like shit not so special.
Celebration drinks with my uni pals for completing our Sport Marketing module, presenting and ready to start some new modules.
MARCH
Never did I think my last in real life, sat in a lecture hall, would be in March. With two modules left, an exam and a dissertation, the last time I was at Loughborough London was in March, a week before lockdown, and of course it ended on International Marketing a module that 2020 would be proud of.
We may have lost on penalties to Norwich in the FA Cup, but the main highlight of the night was watching Eric Dier climb up into the stands to confront a ‘fan’.
The last normal event before lockdown. My friends and I headed to Stamford Bridge to attend Kick It Out Women’s Raise Your Game – all about getting into the sport / football industry, the media and business side. Although I may not have a job in sport, that day provided some valuable lessons, as well as incredible hospitality food at Chelsea. Then we had a glass of wine in Fulham, and little did I know that that was one of my last trips to London.
APRIL
Looking back on April, and actually a lot happened. The weekly virtual quiz with the girls began in early April on a Friday evening and I realised I had no knowledge or expertise in crisps or comics. I started to run 5k’s for the first time in my life and enjoy running as it was a way to clear my head as my only outside exercise of the day. I started to bake more, and read more, and sat a lot of the day in the garden with my Dad. The other part of my life was spent on my bed writing essays and researching for my masters.
One special moment was when I finally gave in and said yes to a virtual date from Bumble, you could say the rest is history.
MAY
May came around and it was somewhat similar to April. More FaceTime and Zoom conversations on a daily occasion. I reached out to sport professionals on LinkedIn and asked for chats, and spoke to some incredibly inspirational people about their careers and how they got there.
We were allowed out more and I have never walked along the Clacton seafront as much as I did with my Mum back in May.
JUNE
The beginning of June was a stress. Last assignments were due to my masters, and I had an online exam. You will never know how grateful I was for that online exam, as I would have probably have failed it if I was sat in a hall or lecture theatre.
After a month and a bit of virtual dates, I went on a real life first date with that guy from Bumble and had the best afternoon in Colchester Castle Park, having a cute picnic and wondering around chatting and laughing.
Then after months of furlough I returned to retail as England started to open up again. The only good thing was seeing my work friends, as I can’t say serving the general public again was great and I missed it because I didn’t.
But most importantly, the Premier League returned!!!!
JULY
Oh July, I turned 23, went to quite a few restaurants for dinner and brunch and started to see friends again (just outside). July was a month of interviews for my dissertation. I interviewed a hell of a lot of social media managers at EPL and WSL clubs, and it was a struggle to get them. It was then all about writing the dissertation and putting my heart and soul into it.
AUGUST
In July I was starting to lose hope that I would get a graduate job. So I started to email my CV out not just to sport marketing agencies, but also marketing agencies across Essex and Suffolk. Then a creative marketing agency phoned me up and I started as an account executive intern on the 3rd August, and 5 months later I’m still there.
During the weekends and my Wednesday off I started to explore more of Suffolk, including Southwold, with my boyfriend. Also, for the first time since March I returned to London and had pizza and drinks with my uni girls and it was truly lovely. I realised just how much I had missed London.
SEPTEMBER
Just like that we get to September, and I officially finished my masters as I handed in my dissertation. Let me tell you that drink was well deserved, but the best way to celebrate it was a trip to Colchester Zoo. Ohh and celebratory drinks and more pizza in London with my uni girls for completing!!!
September was also a big month, as after 6 years I finally left Burton Menswear. I finished it off with a meal and a drink with the Burton lot and it really was an end of an era.
OCTOBER
After interning for two months I got offered a full time job at the marketing agency. I’m pretty proud of myself, because in a middle of a pandemic I got my first graduate job and it may not be in sport but I work in an incredible team and have learnt a hell of a lot. The same day I also found out I had received a first on my dissertation. That weekend it was celebration, and then Essex went into tier 2 and I cried thinking tier 2 was the worst when in reality it was about to get a whole lot worse.
But when of the best memories was ice cream in October, and going to London to celebrate my boyfriends birthday.
NOVEMBER
Then we were back in lockdown but nothing really changed in my life, just a lot more walking. back to lockdown.
The craziest thing about November, was my dad brought a real Christmas tree in November and normally it is like the 10th December. It was definitely a happy memory and put us all in a festive mood.
DECEMBER
Unlike every other year, there were no parties where I could put on a glittery dress and a red lip. Instead it was a festive zoom with my friends, food and drink (and playing the wii) during a normal working day in the office to celebrate Christmas.
The most I got dressed up for was Christmas Day, but more than anything I am grateful for my parents, my health and the closest people in my life right now.
2020 has been a weird year. I have achieved a lot and done stuff I would have never had done without Covid. I have met people that I would have never had met without covid, and I have created memories for a lifetime. I may have been more in-touch with my emotions this year, and have cried a lot, felt anxious and nervous, but I have also never been as confident as what I currently feel. I may have not seen the world, but my eyes have been opened in a different way.
Life of Alicia 
Lovely to read about your year, thanks for sharing it with us. Here’s to a brighter and better2021!
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