Happy New Year UAE: Our Learnings And Musings From 2020
Happy New Year to you all. After the tumultuous events of 2020, it’s safe to say that we all have hopes and plans for a better 2021 even though the road ahead is still uncertain. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”. Here, Rhiannon Downie-Hurst, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Home Club ME, writes to you — our valued readers, supporters and vendors — to encourage you to look ahead with cautious optimism, and to express her heartfelt thanks for your support and to wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous 2021. Over to Rhiannon…
Hello Homies, friends, clients and associates,
What a year it has been! I honestly don’t know where to start as I look back on the past nine months, which sadly had more lows than highs for many of us. The past year has been one that has tested our emotions, mental wellbeing, patience and strength to the limit. It’s been a year of difficult lessons and unbearable losses. Despite this, there have been some positives and the events of the year have no doubt made us truly value what really matters in life. To truly appreciate how fragile life really is and how our circumstances can change in an instant.
For me personally, it has been a year of complete opposites. As a multi-faceted entrepreneur, my wedding-related bread-and-butter businesses have struggled to stay afloat due to innumerable restrictions and nearly seven months of no weddings or events! I am sure I am not the only business owner in the UAE that found themselves in this position in 2020. However, at the same time, www.homeclubme.com grew in popularity as everyone suddenly spent more time at home, as people nested and decluttered their lives, decorated and baked more than ever before!
My husband and I also launched a brand new business during the pandemic, Hurst First WiFi and AV (@hurstfirstwifi on Instagram), which has kept us on our toes nonstop ever since. So, I count my blessings and I am thankful for the positives that arose in 2020 and kept things moving forward.
One thing I knew for sure even before the lockdown, was how much I appreciated my home and how it created a safe and cosy space for my family to enjoy being in — needless to say, this was set in stone more than ever during the pandemic.
In 2020, we moved house, decorated, DIYed and cooked new dishes… most of them successfully! Concentrating on our new home kept me focused and inspired, and it was a happy distraction from the realities of the world we are now navigating. I hope you have enjoyed my #MovingHomeDiaries over on our Instagram account and at www.homeclubme.com, and I hope that our light-hearted home-lifestyle articles have provided you with inspiration to make your home a haven too.
Although this year has been a struggle for us all in different ways, let us be thankful for what we do have, for our health, for our family, our friends. Let us look to 2021 with cautious optimism and renewed hope.
I would personally like to thank all of you reading this for your support this year and to all of you who follow our social media pages and continue to engage with us and our content. And to the vendors and businesses who have signed up to our website in our first year of business, thank you!
We have lots of plans for 2021 and we cannot wait to show you what we have in store for you soon! If you are a business owner and would like to inquire about listing your services or collaborating with us on www.homeclubme.com, please email me at [email protected]
From myself and our little team, we wish you a healthy and prosperous 2021.
With warmest regards,
Rhiannon Downie-Hurst – Founder of www.homeclubme.com.
Need help with your New Year’s resolutions? Home Club ME has essential stress-free advice for decluttering your home, expert tips on creating a stylish hygiene station, and easy first steps to being a grow-your-own veg goddess.
