Looking Back on 2020

How quickly time flies—2020 is coming to an end. Thank you so much for reading the blog “Welcome Home, PORSCHE” and for all your support throughout the year.

In today’s post, as the year draws to a close, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past twelve months.

Around this time last year, I found out I was expecting a new life growing inside me, and soon after, morning sickness symptoms began to appear.

“With the kids starting elementary school and kindergarten, I was finally ready to put more energy into the blog—but then pregnancy… Raising two kids is already tough, so how on earth will I manage with three?”

While I was, of course, happy, I also remember feeling anxious as I went through the early stages of pregnancy.

Since I’m prone to severe morning sickness, with nausea and fatigue making it hard to drive, I reduced the frequency of blog updates for a while and had my husband help with writing articles to keep the blog going.

Back then, I was holding onto the hope that “once I reach the stable period, we’ll take a little road trip as a family,” but with the world changing drastically due to COVID-19, we didn’t get to go on any long drives this year.

That said, I tend to get carried away even during pregnancy (I pushed myself quite hard with the older two), so considering my age, maybe it was for the best that I had to stay home quietly this year.

Also, not being able to drive out as freely as before made me appreciate even more the joy and richness that driving a car brings to our lives.

This year also brought new arrivals and farewells in our car family. In July, I said goodbye to my very first car, the BMW 320i (MT). Thanks to the 320i, I learned to drive a manual transmission and opened the door to a whole new world. It was tough to decide to part with it, but I’m sure it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Then in September, unexpectedly, the 911 Cabriolet (992 model) and the Cayenne E-Hybrid arrived. My husband, who had said many times that he “doesn’t like SUVs,” now says, “I definitely want to keep this one for a long time!” thanks to the Cayenne’s incredible comfort and driving performance (laughs).

This year, my husband rediscovered Porsche’s charm by driving the 911 Cabriolet and GT3 on the circuit, attending a Taycan test drive event at the track, and completing inspections on the Boxster and 964.

In addition, I’ve had more opportunities to test drive readers’ and acquaintances’ cars almost every week and post reports on the blog (though I still have quite a backlog of test drive articles to write, it seems—haha).

Meanwhile, in August, I safely gave birth to our third child, a baby boy. Although my husband couldn’t be present due to COVID restrictions, both mother and baby are healthy, and our son is about to turn four months old.

He’s seven years younger than our eldest and our first boy, so I’m completely smitten and doting on him every day. I do worry a little that “he might end up spoiled and not grow up properly” (laughs).

Looking back, 2020 was an incredibly full and fast-paced year, even more so than usual. Thanks to the support of so many people in various situations, I feel we were able to keep moving forward despite the challenges.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This is my last post of the year. I plan to take a break from blogging over the New Year holidays to relax. Next year, my whole family hopes to stay healthy and energetic and continue sharing our own unique car life with you. Please continue to support “Welcome Home, PORSCHE.”

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year!