This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my\u00a0disclosure<\/a>\u00a0for more info.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Pin Me!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So\u2026 it\u2019s been a little while. Yes, I\u2019m publishing this mid-way through January, and yes, I\u2019m combining November and December, because these last 2.5 months have been CRAZY. From getting extremely sick to the point I could barely get out of bed for weeks, to almost getting kicked out of Georgia during a second lockdown, to taking on too many side jobs\u2026 here\u2019s what I was up to for the last two months of 2020!<\/p>\n FREE GUIDE 7 STEPS TO <\/span><\/p>\n FINALLY MOVE ABROAD! (IN 2021).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The proven 7-step system to help you break out of the status quo and finally move abroad!\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Here are some of the best moments of November and December!<\/p>\n Happy Thanksgiving!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While I spent 99% of the last two months inside, I was able to celebrate two holidays with a very small group of friends. Chris and I celebrated Thanksgiving with a few other Americans who had all been self-isolating for two weeks before the event. We each cooked a few dishes and even got to have a turkey! I made my famous apple pie, among a few other things.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, we did have a 9 pm curfew, so we all had to rush out the door after dinner and take our dessert to go. While it was a bit annoying that we had to rush, I was very thankful I got to experience a delicious Thanksgiving feast with a few American friends.<\/p>\n The next time I saw a few friends was on Boxing Day. Chris and I went over to a friend\u2019s house and we had an amazing goose dinner. I brought baked brie with spiced honey and pecans, as well as an apple pie.<\/p>\n Our first Christmas tree together! <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Mordie\u2019s favorite present was playing in this paper <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n While Chris and I try to go to one of our home countries every year for Christmas, we weren\u2019t able to do that this year for obvious reasons. So, the two of us stayed at home in Tbilisi and tried our best to make Christmas feel fun with just the two of us.<\/p>\n After a lot of searching and headaches, we were finally able to find a tree, and Christmas wrapping paper to wrap gifts (this second one took a LOT of work). We put lights on our balconies, decorated the tree, and hung up stockings.<\/p>\n Thankfully with shipping sites like Kiwi Post, Camex, and USA2Georgia, we were able to get each other a few nice gifts, and our family was able to send us presents too!<\/p>\n We celebrated the day by making french toast for breakfast, opening presents, video chatting with family, baking two apple pies, and ordering in a nice steak dinner. While I usually like to cook on Christmas, with just two of us, I didn\u2019t want to spend all day in the kitchen. Baking two apple pies was enough for me!<\/p>\n I made mulled wine! <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Our Christmas Eve Spread <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n This year I decided to take a full two weeks off\u2026 some of my jobs. I took two weeks off the blog and my Teach Abroad Squad program, and Merilyn<\/a>, who I do social media work for, gave me two weeks off as well!<\/p>\n I did still teach some English online, do some online interviews, do social media work for another person, and edit some college admissions essays (wow that sounds like a lot), but I did manage to at least take a few days off for Christmas. (I have SOME boundaries).<\/p>\n Overall, it was nice to just take some work off my plate and enjoy the holidays.<\/p>\n Christmas morning french toast<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019ve got some big plans coming up for the New Year! Not only will I be opening up Teach Abroad Squad<\/a> again very soon (look out for a Teach Abroad webinar in early February!), but I will also be creating and launching a NEW program in March. AHHHH<\/p>\n Yep, this has been in the works for quite a while, but this new program will be a bit broader than Teach Abroad Squad. So if you\u2019re interested in moving internationally you\u2019re going to want to keep an eye out for more info on this starting in March.<\/p>\n Getting Christmas presents from my family!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While December was a bit stressful, it was also my most successful financial month in quite a while. Let\u2019s just say that when it rains it pours!<\/p>\n For the longest time, I had two side jobs in addition to my course and blog. I did social media for a women\u2019s business coach<\/a>, and I did college admissions interviews for Chinese students who want to study abroad.<\/p>\n But when my interviews started to dry up I panicked and started looking elsewhere. First I started teaching little kids online, which was great but they only had two classes a week for me. But then slowly but surely I was offered another social media job, a gig helping edit college admissions essays, more and more teaching classes, AND my interviews picked back up. It was like I blinked and all of a sudden I had TOO much work!<\/p>\n At least I was a good month financially?<\/p>\n Photo by Mashable<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This is kind of old news, but Biden won! Man, that was a stressful week there waiting to see the results. I\u2019m so happy to have a new president! Those of you who\u2019ve known me are definitely well-aware of my views on Trump, so I probably don\u2019t need to elaborate on why I\u2019m happy about this.<\/p>\n All I have to say is good riddance!<\/p>\n Lots of time to cuddle my kitties<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here are a few of the things that haven\u2019t gone so great for me these past two months\u2026<\/p>\n As I predicted in my October Monthly Recap<\/a>, we went into lockdown 2.0 almost immediately after the election which was the last day of October.<\/p>\n While I\u2019m honestly actually very happy about the lockdown and mask laws, I\u2019m a little annoyed the government didn\u2019t implement them sooner (politics\u2026). Also, it\u2019s never fun to be in lockdown even if it is necessary.<\/p>\n While I don\u2019t mind staying home, the curfew and all the stores being closed has made it difficult to get things I need. Most restaurants stop taking deliveries around 6:30 pm, and if you run out of milk and want to grab some at 7 pm\u2026 too late, the store closed at 6:45. It\u2019s crazy how early things close when there\u2019s a 9 pm curfew! But a lot of people live outside of town and need to get home.<\/p>\n It was an epic struggle trying to order a Christmas tree online, or trying to find wrapping paper at the grocery stores in town. I also had a very difficult time finding a highlighter pen, and I eventually just ordered some clothes I needed on Amazon because all the clothing shops here are closed.<\/p>\n Also with public transport closed, the traffic is INSANE because people are all still going to work. They finally opened the bus lanes to cars, but for a solid few weeks, before they changed the rules, the traffic and traffic POLLUTION were both horrible. There were a few times that I decided to walk the 35 minutes to our large Carrefour, just because me walking was faster than if I sat in a taxi.<\/p>\n At least I got this new robe?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you were wondering why I didn\u2019t write many blog posts, this is why. For pretty much all of November and December, I was really, really sick.<\/p>\n I started feeling rundown right after we moved to our new apartment<\/a> in October, but I just thought I was tired. Then I started feeling REALLY itchy at night\u2026 like excruciatingly itchy. Even my scalp, hands, and feet were itchy! Allergy medicine helped, but didn\u2019t really do the job.<\/p>\n I thought I might be allergic to something in the house like mold or dust mites, so I went and got an allergy test, but it took them 2 weeks to give me the results. In those two weeks, I just kept getting sicker and sicker.<\/p>\n I could barely get out of bed, I had heartburn and thick gunk in my throat and lungs which meant I was constantly clearing my throat. Sometimes it would get so bad that I couldn\u2019t breathe and had to stand outside where I coughed up a lung. I eventually bought myself an inhaler!<\/p>\n During the time I waited for my allergy test, I went to see a doctor about all my issues. We decided to do a COVID test and a blood test to see what was wrong with me. Thankfully the COVID test was negative, but my blood test results also showed I was perfectly fine? Then I went to the allergist and he couldn\u2019t find anything wrong with me either! Seriously, there\u2019s nothing worse than being sick and having no idea what\u2019s wrong with you.<\/p>\n The doctor thinks it might be my clothing detergent that was bothering my skin since I bought new detergent right after I moved into this place. I was also given a month\u2019s-worth of allergy meds and told to buy new detergent and see.<\/p>\n Now I\u2019m mostly feeling better. I have my energy back (thank god), but now that I\u2019m off the allergy meds, I\u2019m still having issues with being itchy, and I still have the gunk in my throat sometimes.<\/p>\n If anyone has any ideas about what might be wrong with me, please let me know\u2026<\/p>\n I\u2019m a Georgian citizen and I say mommy can\u2019t leave.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Right around the time that I was extremely sick, Georgia announced that it wouldn\u2019t be extending the visas for those of us who are on a tourist visa. So basically, our visa was running out mid-January, and if we left they wouldn\u2019t let us back in.<\/p>\n Currently, we don\u2019t have a high enough income to apply for residency, and even the digital nomad visa is a bit of a stretch. You only need to be making $2,000 USD\/ month for the digital nomad visa as a couple, but that $2k must come from one person, and combined incomes don\u2019t count. While I actually would\u2019ve hit it this last month, I can\u2019t show a consistent monthly income of $2k right now and neither can Chris.<\/p>\n Plus, for this visa, we\u2019d need to pay to leave the country, and then fly back in, pay to quarantine in a hotel for 2 weeks and then pay for the visa on top of this!<\/p>\n Thankfully the government relented and let everyone extend their visas until the summer, but wow that was a stressful few weeks.<\/p>\n Chris and I were considering a last-minute move to Mexico, which is not ideal when you have two cats (neither of which are fully vaccinated yes, and thus can\u2019t leave the country). Thank god they decided to change their minds.<\/p>\n Our Thanksgiving leftovers!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While the extra work this winter has been awesome, it\u2019s also been very stressful! I really wasn\u2019t able to take time off as much as I\u2019d planned, and to be honest, some weeks I\u2019ve literally been working 7 days a week.<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t really figured out how to prioritize my own stuff (like my new online course I\u2019m creating\u2026or blog posts) while working on things for everyone else. Thankfully I think I\u2019ve got a good schedule mapped out now, and some clearer boundaries when it comes to the hours and days I\u2019m willing to work, but it\u2019s been a struggle!<\/p>\n It\u2019s been really hard for me to turn down paying work and prioritize my own needs and my own schedule, but I have to do it. I can\u2019t allow my English school to schedule classes for me seven days a week or accept interviews on my one day off or I\u2019ll just go crazy.<\/p>\n Chris\u2019 birthday cake! (We celebrated at home in lockdown)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Due to my health, work overload, and two-week break, I didn\u2019t write many posts in November and December, but here they are!<\/p>\n FINALLY Learning Travel Hacking<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 I FINALLY learned how to use Credit Cards, Points, and Miles. It only took me a decade\u2026<\/p>\n 30 Perfect Gifts For Travelers (Who Can\u2019t Travel Right Now)<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 My yearly Holiday Gift Guide with a 2020 twist. Here are gifts that are awesome for travelers that you can use even when you\u2019re not traveling!<\/p>\n The Freedom Life: October 2020<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Here\u2019s what I was up to in October! Celebrating my anniversary with Chris and traveling to Batumi and Merisi (before Lockdown 2.0)<\/p>\n I also created a FREE Guide called 7 Steps to Moving Abroad (in 2021) that I\u2019m still putting the finishing touches on!<\/p>\n Photo by Amazon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Chris got a\u00a0Firestick<\/a>\u00a0for Christmas last year, and we\u2019re OBSESSED. This little HDMI plugin device allows us to steam all of our shows from Netflix and Amazon Prime, to Youtube and even Spotify music.<\/p>\n The Fire Stick itself is very tiny and can be easily thrown in a backpack. When you use it, all you need is a tv with an HDMI port and an internet connection. The Firestick even works really well with\u00a0Express VPN<\/a>, so we can watch US shows abroad!<\/p>\n I love the Firestick because let\u2019s be honest, we\u2019re all steaming a bunch of shows right now anyway, and when you travel, you can just take the Firestick<\/a> with you and load it up on any tv!<\/p>\n Yum Yum Yum!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here are my favorite blog posts from other bloggers and writers this winter!<\/p>\n 2020: A Year in Review \u2013 This Battered Suitcase<\/a> <\/strong>My favorite and most realistic year in review I read this year<\/p>\n My Worst Travel Moments of 2020 \u2013 Adventurous Kate<\/a><\/strong> I love reading these every year!<\/p>\n![\"What's](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Freedom-Life-Nov-Dec-2020-2.png\")
<\/p>\nWhat I Was Up to in November and December<\/h2>\n
![\"Free](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/7-Steps-Moving-Abroad.png\" "\\"7")
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhere I Went<\/h2>\n
\n
Highlights<\/h2>\n
![\"Thanksgiving](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3560.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThanksgiving and Boxing Day With a (Very Small) Group of Friends<\/h3>\n
![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3755.jpg?w=311&h=429&ssl=1\" "\\"IMG_3755\\"")
<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"wrapping](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3766.jpg?w=321&h=429&ssl=1\" "\\"IMG_3766\\"")
<\/a> <\/p>\nCelebrating Christmas With Chris!<\/h3>\n
![\"mulled](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3680.jpg?w=316&h=421&ssl=1\" "\\"IMG_3680\\"")
<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3752.jpg?w=316&h=421&ssl=1\" "\\"IMG_3752\\"")
<\/a> <\/p>\nTaking Two Weeks Off Work (Kind of)<\/h3>\n
![\"French](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3761.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBig Plans For 2021!<\/h3>\n
![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3840.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMy Most Successful Financial Month in a WHILE<\/h3>\n
![\"Biden](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-20-at-6.46.23-PM.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBiden Won the Presidential Election!<\/h3>\n
![\"Mordie\"](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3878.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChallenges<\/h2>\n
Lockdown 2.0<\/h3>\n
![\"new](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3846.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGetting Really, Really Sick<\/h3>\n
![\"Yasmina](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3795.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAlmost Getting Kicked Out of Georgia<\/h3>\n
![\"Thanksgiving](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3566.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWork Overload and Overwhelm<\/h3>\n
![\"Birthday](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3585-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBlog Posts I Wrote in November + December<\/h2>\n
![\"Amazon](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/firestick.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTravel Product of the Month<\/h2>\n
![\"Christmas](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_3750.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMy Favorite Blog Posts of November and December<\/h2>\n
![\"What's](\"https:\/\/www.adventuresaroundasia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Freedom-Life-Nov-Dec-2020-1.png\")
<\/p>\n