Merry Christmas everyone!
And for those of you who don't celebrate, I hope you have a relaxing day with family and friends. We'll be making pancakes, because that's one of the things that we like to do on Christmas morning.
This time last year I think a lot of us thought that the world would feel far more normal by now. We're not in total lockdown like we were, but we are also not back to normal. And that is impacting our ability to be with some loved ones in the ways that would normally be possible.
Prior to this pandemic, we had also made a point of traveling during the holidays. This is that one time of the year when you can truly disconnect, explore the world, and not feel any anxiety every time you pick up your phone and see your inbox. That is obviously a challenge right now.
But these realities are no reason not to be grateful for this holiday season and to be hugely optimistic for the year ahead. We will be doing both of these things while we enjoy our Christmas pancakes. If any of you have any Christmas traditions of your own, I would love to hear from you in the comment section below.
P.S. The image at the top of this post is my CryptoBabyPunk NFT (#660) all dressed up for Christmas.
Merry Christmas and/or happy whatever you happen to celebrate around this time of year.
Hopefully things have slowed down for you all and you’re relaxing with family and friends either at home or somewhere on vacation. I’ll be doing that here in Toronto and making pancakes for breakfast, because that’s what I like to do on Christmas morning.
If you’re in the market for some long form reading material while you relax, I recommend you check out an article in The Walrus called, After the Troubles. It’s by Toronto-based planner Joe Berridge – who is a partner at Urban Strategies – and it’s the story behind his team’s Belfast City Centre Regeneration Strategy and Investment Plan.
It’s a fascinating and entertaining read, and there are lots of comparisons between Toronto and Belfast. Here’s a little taste: