WOW, I don’t think anyone could have expected all that 2020 had in store for us! As we enter its final days, our team at SRA took some time to find a few silver linings in what has no doubt been a challenging year for many. Each member of SR/A has shared what their favorite thing about 2020 has been and has added a little extra holiday cheer by sharing some of their favorite holiday decorations!
Sabine, President + CEO
What I liked the most about 2020 – Learning to work from home and organizing the house to include a true office, while upgrading the dining area for more at home dinners instead of out to restaurants, which reconnected me with the pleasures of cooking. Also enjoying spending my days with my family of fur balls and husband, really getting much closer together.
Abigail, Designer + Procurement Manager
My favorite thing about 2020 has been moving to Colorado and getting to live near the mountains and my sister! We’ve already started skiing regularly and we are looking forward to many more outdoor adventures.
Jennie, Certified Designer + Brand Coordinator
At the start of 2020, my son was still a baby and now at the end of 2020 he is an official walking, talking toddler (complete with a toddler temper!). His growth and innocence has been a reminder to me all year long that despite hardships, life will continue and there is always joy to be found and appreciated.
Katharine, Senior Designer + Projects Manager
While 2020 changed a lot of plans for my family and I, it also gave me a chance to slow down for what feels like the first time in a long time. I was able to FaceTime my niece every week, exceed my reading goal for the year, explore new hobbies, and get to know our neighborhood better with daily walks.
Brendan, Certified Designer + Documentation Manager
I think my favorite thing about 2020 would have to be my new remote work-life balance. Eliminating my daily commute, and having the flexibility to adjust my remote work schedule has been crucial in navigating some of the small and large challenges in my personal life since the pandemic began.
Wrish, Junior Architect
One of the positive things about 2020 was that I traveled and got to see my family back home. We also learned to appreciate the things we once took for granted for example, our five senses. I lost my sense of smell for months after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and it was so frustrating sometimes to not know how things smell.
One of the things I like about Christmas is the decorations. This is last year in DC when we attended ENCHANT Christmas light maze.
Josh, Office Manager
“Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length” ~ Robert Frost
Jessica, Creative Operations Director
2020 has reminded me of the blessings that virtual communication can be. For one, it has made it possible to work from home and stay connected with the team. Personally, I have been presented with more opportunities to have video calls with family members (and friends) that live as far away as England. Although this technology has been around for quite some time, 2020 has brought to light the importance of connecting with loved ones in whatever way possible. Virtual birthday parties might not be the same, but I am finding that there are ways to include more loved ones in these special moments that were overlooked before.
The attached picture shows my Christmas tree and the Santa ornament is an ornament that I purchased while working at the Hallmark store back in college. Working at the Hallmark store was a lot of fun and see the new ornaments was always something I looked forward to. I gave them to my mom so that she could put them on her tree (when I lived in Capitol Hill, I only had a very small 18” tabletop tree). However, moving to Friendship Heights came with a bigger apartment and the ability to have a regular sized tree, so last year she brought be the box of all the Hallmark ornaments I had purchased so long ago.
Courtney, Design Intern
For me, a silver lining of 2020 has been witnessing what a resilient bunch we are as human beings! This year has brought so much hardship and unique challenges for different people, but there has been comfort in finding meaning and purpose in moving forward. 2020 has forced me to be more conscious of what is important in life and to truly value how precious this time spent with my son, husband and fur babies has been!
This year we opted for a table top tree to try and prevent my mischievous toddler from getting into the tree!
Drew, Business Development Lead
I’m so grateful to have had commute time turned into quality time with my three sons. They are growing up so fast and to have more time with them is truly priceless to me.
Complied by Courtney Bradshaw, Design Intern.
