Normally at this time of year, most of us are concerned with figuring out our New Year’s resolutions (that we probably won’t keep beyond the first week of January). But as every single person knows, 2020 was not a normal year, and this is not a normal New Year’s Eve.
Instead of resolutions, this might be a time to think about what we can look forward to in 2021. Some of these ideas might be more wishful thinking than others. (It truly remains to be seen if concert halls and Broadway theaters can reopen in the next 12 months.) But with several vaccines already in production for mass distribution and out the door, 2021 is full of far more possibility than the preceding year.
Here’s a list of submissions from Fortune’s editorial staff about what we are looking forward to (or hoping for) most in 2021.
I sit here every day hoping and wishing for my return to the Amalfi Coast. I know it is simple, but miss it so much. —Scott DeCarlo, list editor
There’s a concept in childbirth called “kangaroo care,” which reduces infant mortality and strengthens the bond between mother and child. The key is skin-to-skin contact. I think adults need kangaroo care too, and I’m sincerely looking forward to hugs and handshakes again. —Robert Hackett, senior writer
I am really looking forward to the return of spontaneity. During the pandemic, everything takes so much planning. I can’t wait to run out my front door without a mask to meet a friend last-minute again. That’s what I really miss. —McKenna Moore, assistant audience engagement editor
I really miss random work events and wacky press parties and the resulting conversations with strangers I would otherwise never interact with. (Somehow Zoombombing isn’t quite the same.) Some other ones from my wish list: getting on a plane and going somewhere, anywhere new; shopping for new, non-athleisure clothes; and staying home with a good book or to watch Netflix because it’s a choice, and not the only safe option. —Maria Aspan, senior writer
I can’t wait to see live music again. It’s magic when musicians come together in a space to perform in front of other people. The world is worse without it. —Andrew Nusca, digital editor
In 2021, I will never, ever, EVER pass up an opportunity to watch live music in a crowd of other people who also love it. —Matthew Heimer, senior features editor
I am desperately looking forward to the return of massive outdoor shows like the Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe tour. I am looking forward to the return of large in-person marathons, like Boston and New York. I am desperately looking forward to being able to visit Canada without having to quarantine at some motel near the border. —Phil Wahba, senior writer
Sports! Can’t wait to have a hot dog and a beer at a ballgame. —Rey Mashayekhi, reporter
Sure, not being able to safely go to the gym is a bummer, but group yoga—particularly the hot, indoor kind—has been for some of us an even more profound loss. My first stop after COVID is under control will be a small, tightly sealed room where I and 20 strangers will do glorified push-ups while bathing in delirium-inducing heat, pseudospiritual blather, and each other’s sweat. It will be glorious. —David Z. Morris, tech writer
Enough rain and snow to keep California from burning yet again. That city streets closed to cars during the pandemic to create more open space are kept closed permanently. Not talking about COVID. —Verne Kopytoff, senior editor
In Rome, a flat with a terrazzo (terrace) is key. I’ve squeezed onto many a narrow Roman balcony to dine with friends, clinking wineglasses as the sun sets on another scorcher of a day. The setting can turn even the humblest home-cooked meal into a decadent Italian affair. I long for the return of Roman dinner parties. It’s where I get my best story ideas—some even publishable.
And this is a long shot, but perhaps the ski gods will hear my plea. For years, I’ve been planning to ski with my daughters the famed Sellaronda, a 40-kilometer route that circumnavigates the breathtaking Sella massif in the Italian Alps. The village-to-village tour takes the entire day. At the midway point is the stunning little gem of Arabba, where you can find a little refuge that serves a mean bombardino and thick hot chocolates. 2021 is supposed to be our first time skiing it together. —Bernhard Warner, senior editor
I’m looking forward to (hopefully!) spending less time hashing out logistical challenges and nuances and fallacies [in regard to] COVID, but I’m optimistic that the crash course society took in the complex implications of this unforeseen virus will translate into people being better communicators about future problems that affect us collectively.
I’m also looking forward to feeling relieved of a vague sense of dread. While there are plenty of problems in the world to worry about and address outside of (or now exacerbated by) COVID, pre-March I never could shake the idea that we, as a society, were hurtling toward some sort of breaking point [or] come-to-Jesus moment that would force us to reflect on our priorities and trajectories. It will be a relief to be on the other side of a moment like this, but until then, I really can’t predict which aspects of my former lifestyle I’ll resume and which I’ll drop. —Lydia Belanger, production editor
More must-read lifestyle and entertainment coverage from Fortune:
- The 10 best business books of 2020
- Congress COVID-19 relief bill includes $15 billion for Broadway, small music venues, movie theaters
- “The Mozart of fungi”: For ages, truffle hunting has been one of the most challenging pursuits on earth. Then the pandemic hit
- From pet adoptions to DIY home improvement to sweatpants: 10 COVID-fueled consumer trends that will endure
- How Hawaii’s COVID-19 testing program could serve as the blueprint for a broader reopening of international travel
