As we step further into the 2020s, I find myself reflecting on this decade so far. It’s been a transformative time for me—marked by milestones, growth, and challenges. As a teenager, I’ve had the privilege of documenting my journey through my phone, laptop, and good old-fashioned diaries and journals (from the chaos of boarding school to quiet moments of solitude) When Snapchat isn’t threatening me, my digital and physical records have served as a time capsule, reminding me of who I was, where I was, and how I felt.
Unlike the hazy memories of my childhood, the 2020s are sharp in my mind, and I have the autonomy to tell the story in my own words. These moments are mine, shaped by me, and no one else’s interpretation. So, here it is— the good, the bad, and the ugly.
2020: Unprecedented times
At 14, I was still living in Zimbabwe, living through the uncertainty of COVID-19. I was preparing for my ‘O’ Levels, though the pandemic meant endless adjustments— schools shut, online learning introduced, and routines disrupted. I had no day-to-day plan, but I live to tell the story.
For the first time my education in Zimbabwe wasn’t in boarding school, so I got to decorate my room and fully appreciate home. I rediscovered my surroundings outside my room, taking solace in the outdoors and poetry.
Random lore: I got cats in the middle of lockdown. I don’t know why; everyone in the house just went along with it.
2021: “Master of none”
My cats didn’t make it to 2021. One went missing in the great outdoors (we live in the mountains), and a few days before results day, one got mauled by one of the dogs. This happened right before results day, I was a nervous, grieving mother and yet I had passed with flying colours. I earned the highest history grade in the world, giving my African family endless bragging rights. But that didn’t come without its struggles— I was stuck in the rigidity of Maths, Physics and Chemistry, all in the name of “capability”
Lockdown returned, and I threw myself into creative projects— tie-dye, patchwork, script writing, candle-making. It was my way of reclaiming balance from my rigid subjects. Later that year, I met my best friend at boarding school— that’s an important detail because you’d think we wouldn’t survive the the Stockholm syndrome-y nature of our meeting, but we’re still here, seas apart, going strong.
Random lore: In August, I visited Victoria Falls for the first time and did the gorge swing.
2022: Exam season
This was a year of extremes—both emotionally and academically. I began the year in London, having spent Christmas there for the first time post-lockdown. Strangely, the UK didn’t feel like home anymore. I was itching to leave, but what awaited me in Zimbabwe was hardly any better.
It was an academically gruelling year. I went from the simplicity of prepping for 14 exams to deciding midway through the year to take on literature. This bold move meant I was now sitting for a staggering 18 exams come October. At the time, it felt like a death sentence. Burnout became my default state. I felt trapped in an endless cycle of textbooks, formulas, and essays.
So I turned to playlists, mood boards, and visual study aids to break the monotony of studying. My room became plastered with mind maps, posters, and study charts. It was chaotic but oddly comforting—a visual representation of my mental state.
Random lore: I injured my ankle nearly a year after it happened in 2021
2023: Homesick
I got my ‘A’ Level results and felt like jumping off the balcony. In retrospect, it was never that deep (maybe I’m downplaying it now because I’m exactly where I intended to be at the beginning of the decade). After receiving my results I was so low, you couldn’t talk me out of resitting—but before I left Zim my Sekuru took me to see Honde Valley— maybe the best day of my life. The rest of 2023 was horror. The year was a whirlwind— I re-explored London, went to Lisbon, had a total of four jobs, and moved to Manchester.
For the first time, I embraced solitude and not the ‘sit in my room teen angst’ kind. I attended concerts, events, campus tours alone. In November, I started this blog— a space for my voice to finally take shape. As I studied for my first set of university exams and an Engineering student I tapped out. At the end of 2023, I just knew.
Random lore: I developed allergies for the first time in my life in the UK. First it was a deathly pollen attack in a park, then I actually got hospitalised for a soy allergy.
2024: Confusion and clarity
This past year has been about self realisation. I left university a week after it turned 18 because Engineering just wasn’t for me— and I was at peace with that. While waiting for September to roll around, I spent time working, attended concerts, took photos and got used to pouring my thoughts into this blog. A lot of the concerts I attended this year spoke to me all the way back to 2020 when I was in my room discovering some of these artists for the first time.
When university started I was finally in a discipline that aligned with my skill set AND interests. It was no longer about the voices of my parents, echoes of teachers, or anyone else— it was about mine. I started Thought Daughter Radio as well, which also helped me learn about my voice and the importance of other people’s voices too.
Random lore: I made my 18th birthday cake and went and got my industrial pierced.
Each year of this decade has taught me something new about resilience, creativity, and identity. And as I step into 2025, I feel a renewed sense of purpose and direction. This is the year I build on the lessons of the past to create something remarkable. With the foundation I’ve laid, I’m ready to embrace challenges, celebrate milestones, and continue shaping a life that feels authentically mine.
I wish you all the best this year and I can’t wait to see where the rest of this decade takes us.
Below you can vote for the best of the worst!!!
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