This is an all English podcast episode, 1497, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of 20/20.

Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 150 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts. Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York Radio Girl coming to you from Colorado and New York City U. S a and to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to all ears. English dot com forward slash subscribe.

In today's episode, we get real and raw. Let's reflect on the year of 2020. What were the downsides and the bright spots. Listen in today to reflect on your year to.

Hey, Michelle, how's it going today? How are you feeling? We're on camera with this episode on YouTube. So exciting.

I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good, Lindsey. Well, it is the end of twenty twenty.

Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited. I don't think I've ever been more excited, honestly, to do a New Year's episode. Most of the time it's like, oh, goal setting, you know, visioning my new year this year. It's like, yeah, good riddance. Yeah. Good riddance.

I know this is just like this is going to be a very honest episode, guys.

I mean, because I think that this year people have had to be so much more honest and real and raw than ever before.

Yeah, I love those three adjectives, Michelle. Honest, real and raw. I mean, we've gotten to know the people in our lives in a different way. Right. When we're all under these stressful circumstances, we get to know people. We see different sides of people, for better or for worse. We can get closer to people. It just upends our lives, right? Yeah, guys.

And we don't want to hide that away from you either. I mean, guys, we're we're close here. You know, we feel this very close relationship with our listeners. And so we've tried to be, you know, honest about the good things, the the good, the bad, the ugly. Right about money. Twenty.

There's a lot of bad and good, too. There has been it's unique, too.

I mean, obviously, it's not a good reason for it, but it's kind of the first time that I can remember in history, modern history, that the whole world has faced the same problem.

Right. I mean, that's remarkable. Yeah. Yeah, it is definitely remarkable. So but I mean, we'll talk about this in a little bit more. But this idea of like, well, I guess maybe we'll just talk about it now.

For some reason, I feel like every year there's something where something bad happened or like maybe like a lot of celebrities died and people are always like, oh, goodbye to this year. And I always think it's kind of funny. And I mentioned this on a recent episode about like how we kind of have this feeling of wanting to blame a year. Oh yeah.

It's like twenty, twenty. And it's like, again, if you guys caught the episode on Personification, right. We personify the year and we say, oh, we're so mean to us or it was wicked.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. Twenty twenty. Yeah. So yeah. I mean but it's, but it's interesting because then people do kind of feel, you know, a new start in a different way when it's been a particularly rough year, especially this one. Yeah. I feel like there's this new like oh come on, we have like a renewed sense of hope. So that's what. Yeah. You know, twenty, twenty one.

Let's hope for it's going to be good. It can't be that much worse.

Right. Knock on wood. Not exactly. Exactly. So yeah.

But it was a tough year so guys. Well I mean Lindsey what are some vocabulary words that you might use to describe. Twenty twenty.

I mean we're going to give you guys these words right today so that you can go out and chat with your friends, that maybe you're going to some virtual New Year's party tonight right online through Zoome and you can use these words right to talk about the year. So first one would be a pain, right?

So that's a good one. I mean, it was a toughie.

Is another good one. What else, Michelle? Yeah, or you could say it was upsetting, right? Yeah, it was. It was upsetting for sure.

So, guys, we're going to talk more about our years in just a second.

But before we do that, we wanted to thank our app reviewers. You guys are amazing.

Yeah, we have some exciting news for our Android users. You guys have been asking us for this Android version of the app for years. And finally now, this week, we are hopefully, hopefully signing a contract with a with some developers to build the Android app. So get excited for that. It'll be coming in the spring. Get ready for it, because it's going to give you guys access to this awesome tool. This way to see the transcripts in real time, save your vocabulary words.

It's going to be fantastic. But I do want to say thank you to our reviewers for the iOS app.

So thank you to Kayyem, who is from Vietnam. Thank you to that user. Thank you. To find Sandy. I think this is ah Sandy in China. Thank you to her for reviewing the iOS app. Rich Daddy, one from the U.S. Herson D.F. from Canada and Frosti age twenty eight from the US. Guys, thank you so much for reviewing the app. Go in, leave your review will try to announce your name on the show.

OK, awesome.

Thank you guys so much. We really, really appreciate it. And I for one would be very excited about an Android app because I have an android. So guys, I'm right there along with you.

Now, finally, you're going to get to see what the app looks like, Michelle. I know. So anyway, thanks, guys. So, all right. So, Lindsey, let's let's get real.

Let's get real talk about our twenty twenty. I mean, let's start with the tough stuff. So, I mean, Lindsey, what was tough for you about this here?

Oh, my gosh. I think for me the number one thing was honestly not being able to travel internationally.

Now I feel a little bit of a big trip. I had a big trip. I feel Bad said. Saying that because there's a lot of harder circumstances that people had in this situation, but from my personal experience, it was I feel like international travel invigorates me in a way that nothing else does.

It almost like makes me feel free in my mind. Right.

Exposure to languages, cultures, the aspect of just breathing in the air in another country. And we did have a trip plan to Egypt. We had to cancel it.

Yeah, I mean, that was awful for me.

Now, you know what? Last night, I think I'm in the same place as you because last night I actually had a dream that I was traveling to India, that I was going to go on a trip to India. And I was having a hard time picking out my shoes. And I was dreaming about this.

And I woke up and I was like, oh, like, oh, bummer. I know, I know how you feel.

Yeah, but you you and Dan did go to India a couple of years ago. And you. Yeah. So, yeah. You've had India, you've had that experience. I mean that's what I mean. It's almost like a loss of a year in terms of the places I want to see in my life. There's only so many years we have in our lives.

India is one of the places and I kind of feel like, unfortunately, it's going to be harder to get all these awesome places in. But it's not just to take a box, right? It's just to get that exposure out of life. Yeah.

So that's the hardest thing for me. Yeah, I know. I know how much you love that. I feel the same way. That's definitely something that I've missed out on. Usually we take a trip this time of year. Like last year. Yeah. On a trip at this time. Right.

And it's kind of like knowing we would have been going again. Yeah, you would have gone somewhere.

Where would you have gone? Did you have a plan.

We were we were considering maybe Portugal.

Oh cool. Oh I want to go there too. Yes. Fantastic.

In another world, there lived an hour in Portugal right now celebrating the new year. But that's OK.

It's OK. It's OK. Well, what about you, Michel? What were the hard things on the year for you?

Yeah, well, I mean, certainly it's been very hard. Obviously there are some personal family things that have happened with the coronavirus. Yeah, but aside from some hardships dealing with that, I, I am a mother trying to work Vyas during this pandemic.

I have no child care.

Yeah. And, you know, that's a big thing that's been going on is people who have children who are trying to work with little or no childcare. And that's been probably one of the one of the hardest parts about it. And I know that, you know, we can do another episode about this, but like a lot of women are really struggling and they're unfortunately with the way society is. A lot of women are kind of being forced out of whereas out of the workplace.

Right? Yeah, I'm fortunate that I have that I work for such understanding places, including Ulithi. And you guys should talk so nice about all the things.

But, you know, it's it's hard it's hard to deal with that and just, you know, kind of being and my dad doesn't work at home.

So being stuck inside with a toddler, I'm sure that we have listeners who have been dealing with that and definitely a lot of other a lot of other things that have gone out during covid that I won't get into. But yeah, obviously it just being tough, not seeing family and friends easily.

Yeah.

Yeah, I, I just the other day I just, I think it was during well in November actually during the election and I was texting all the time with my one friend about what was going on and then I really started to miss her like really really miss my friend.

Yeah. Yeah. Those are some of the things.

It's the human connections, right. That we miss. Yeah. It's just not quite the same on Skype. It's hard on Zoome and having those parties, if you're online working all day, which many of us are to get on a Zoome party in the evening, it's hard. You know, you want to go out and move your body, like go for a run. Go for a jog. So yeah. And for the being a mother, I mean, it's I'm sure it's hard enough raising a toddler in general in a normal world and then adding covid on top of that.

I mean, Michelle, like you, but you're getting through it though, right? I mean, you know, you're going to survive this year.

There's really one more day. Yes, I'm trying. I'm trying. Yeah.

I think mine I have this weird and I was talking to my friend about this yesterday. I have this weird idea that as soon as we flip into twenty twenty one, everything's going to be different, which is totally incorrect.

Well, that's that's what I was trying to say about the whole like that. We blame a year and then like like we have the thing in our mind that like, OK, well once it's twenty, twenty one month since the next year, it's going to be great. I was looking through my pictures from last year. Have you seen any pictures from or videos of yourself from before the pandemic.

And you're just looking at them and you're like, you idiot, it's a different time now. I don't know how good you have it just to be here, you know? Yeah. Or even when I watch something on TV now, I'll see people entering a room to be like they need masks.

Why are they not wearing models like me too.

And so funny. I love that. I love that.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Guys, the best and the easiest way to listen to the show and to see real time transcripts on your phone right as you listen, is in the iOS app, get your seven day free premium trial, go to Allers English dot com forward slash bonuses to be redirected to the app on your iOS device. And it's coming soon for Android users in 2021. So get ready. Thanks for listening, guys.

So so it's definitely it's definitely been hard, but let's talk let's you know, we did the bad.

Let's talk about what are some of the good things that happen, because we have to be hopeful. You have to have, you know, good parts of our lives, just for sure.

I mean, for me, I got a puppy and I love him so much.

So I got the chance to experience kind of maybe a fraction of what it feels like to be a mom.

Right, by being a dog mom. And I just love him.

Just the love that I feel for that dog. I don't know. We've we've trained him. We he's a bad dog sometimes, but we love him anyway.

And he's just so cute. Maybe I'll have to have him at some point on one of these videos. Yeah. You to bring him on an episode.

But I don't know, just having a pet is awesome.

It's just it's a simple thing in life, but it adds a level of depth to your life. Connection with other dog owners around Denver. It's a very dog friendly city. We can bring him to breweries and we sit outside, bring them into the shop sometimes, and we can meet other dog owners around the city neighborhood in the park.

So it's added a new dimension in my life. Yeah, sure.

This is the first time you've had a dog? I've never had a dog. I've always wanted a dog my whole life. They're part of the I they are so part of the family.

They really are. Yeah. You have a new family member for sure.

And we did do an episode, guys, by the way, on Pets in American Culture. So if you come back to our website altar's English dot com and type that in the search bar, you'll learn a little bit about how Americans think about their pets. Really interesting stuff. Michelle, what about you? What would be a good a bright spot for you could turn a good vocabulary word?

Yeah, a bright spot or the bright spot. Right. That's like the good side. Like a specific thing. That's been wonderful. I mean, as hard as it is to be a mom during this as it is to be a mom in general. Yeah.

It's also been amazing because my son is about to right now to be able to watch him grow. I told my mom the other day, said every day is like watching a magic show. I mean, I'm literally just like every day seeing so many new things. And it is so cool to watch. Like, I've never experienced this before.

I mean, I, I, I mean, I, you know, I've been around kids before, but this is not the child is not the same when it's not your kid.

That's amazing. Yeah. He's just been so it's just incredible to watch also.

I mean as far as like professional stuff goes, I loved getting to work more with the all those English team, like. Yeah. Working with you and Aubrey and Jessica, you know, just getting to know people more. Yeah. Business course. Yes.

We've got a good thing going. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then just I think overall learning to slow down is in a way, you know, taught me something too about being resilient. Yeah. To just be really strong during these times. So even though, you know, it's been hard, I'm learning that I'm stronger than I think.

That's awesome. Yeah. I wonder what our listeners would say about this. You know, I hope that they will come back to the blog. Right. And let us know. This is fourteen ninety seven guys come back to the blog and type in. What have been the good things that have come out of this year for you and what have been the not so good things? I think a lot of our listeners will relate to you, Michel, and the feeling of being more resilient than you think, not needing as much as you think you need, right?

We think we need it. We need clubs. We need good food restaurants. We don't need the fancy things in life. We just need, like, love in our lives. Friendship, connection sounds so cliche. I'm not trying to sound like a Hallmark card.

Sorry, the good Hallmark card. It's a good one. It's a good one. So what else, Michelle, do we have any any quotes to finish up today or what do you think.

All right. Well, should we do one. Yeah, let's do one of these quads. You grabbed a quote. Which one do you think would be best to share with our listeners here?

I'm going to choose the one from Barack Obama because it's better to do better.

By the way, before we do that, I just want to say, guys, that's a great chunk in your English to use. Who better to do this? That's a really natural and native thing that Michelle just said. So write that down, OK? And maybe in another episode next year, we'll talk about what that means and how to use it so good.

Definitely. Definitely. So the quote is, the best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don't wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good thing things happen, you will fill the world with hope. You will fill yourself with hope.

I love that it's so good and it's so true whenever I feel afraid, if I go out and I take action in some way, that always helps to reduce my fear, you know.

Yeah, I love it. And I just, you know, it's interesting reading it now because it's like, OK, get up and do something. We can't do the things in the way that we normally would do them. True. True. But you still get creative.

You still find positive ways to change things. I mean, there are a lot of people who are starting businesses out of this. I mean. A lot of people who are doing so much got obviously the people in health care, you know, but there's a lot of good that that is coming from, you know, 20, 22. So let's definitely our hope and, you know, don't be hopeless. We're 20, 21. We can do it.

Yeah, guys. And come back to the blog. Let us know what you're doing. Like what is something positive that's coming out of this year for you. So excited for 20, 21.

The next time we hear, you know, publish where you guys we're going to be in a new year. So let's let's hope for a good one. And we are here in twenty point twenty one for you guys to push your English level higher and to look for that connection. That's what we're always going for. It all is English is the human connection, Michelle. Absolutely.

I love it. So. Yeah, guys, happy New Year. This episode we've talked about our thoughts on twenty. We've given you some vocab, some bonuses and.

Yeah, stay stay helpful, guys, and we will see you next year. Sounds good, Michelle. Take care. Bye bye.

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