I knew that New Year’s Eve this year would be different; but I never quite thought or expected it to better than the rest. After years of organizing big parties with friends, traveling to the best spots and seeing fireworks above the tallest tower in the world, 2020’s New Year’s Eve still outshined them all. 2020 was about a different form of travel – it was about valuing human connection and honest relationships. It was about merging our hearts, internalizing other worlds, opening our young souls to the sufferings of others, and learning about the labor of love. 2020 was about the full human experience. It was about feeling the pain and struggles of one’s own mother, father, sister or brother and grandparents, but also about rekindling our lost connection with them. On the eve of New Year’s, in the midst of a global pandemic, I did not long for celebration, but of warmth and connection. I longed for meaningful conversations and understanding, and most of all, for honesty. Sitting around the dinner table with my family on New Year’s Eve, I realized that the human experience lies in…
