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2020 had so much going for it for me personally, so much unrealized potential. Cinco De Mayo was on a (Taco) Tuesday; the Fourth of July, Halloween and my birthday were all going to fall on a Saturday. It was all shaping up to be great. Then the world shut down due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Sports, Broadway, travel, social gatherings, in-office work were all replaced by zoom meetings, sweatpants and plexiglass. And illness. And for too many, loss of life.

We’re all ready to leave it behind, and while we’re at it, let’s leave some other things behind too. This list has the potential to get pretty heavy and deep. I know many of us dealt with some serious things this year, but I’m focusing on some other things that may not seem too serious, but they actually meant something to me. They may resonate with you as well.

These are the things I’m leaving behind. I hope you figure out your list and leave those things behind, too.

I am a big Marie Kondo fan, I did a great job organizing my clothes when “Tidying with Marie Kondo” first came out. Since then, however, I could do with a refresh. If you’re also like me, you have done a great deal of online clothes shopping since March. Before we ring in the new year, my closet is going to be more organized than a brand new box of crayons. Here’s some ways you can 

reduce, reuse and recycle the stuff in your closets

 (including old hijabs, which I obviously don’t own myself, but maybe you do).

Spending every waking moment no more than two rooms away from loved ones the past eight months has absolutely depleted my list of conversation topics and witty anecdotes. I even bought a conversation starter card game for some new material to talk about. But you know what? Now is the perfect time to have those difficult conversations you may have been putting off in your relationships. Whether you need to work on your romantic relationship or your kids are exhibiting a behavior you’d like to stop, it’s more than past time. 

Constructive, difficult conversations are never easy

I don’t want to brag, but I’ve lost almost 30 pounds since March. I was the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life before the pandemic hit, and I will never go back. My ultimate goal is still another 30 pounds away, and I’ll get there. But that first 30 are going to stay in 2020 forever. Did I tell you I lost 30 pounds? It’s a pretty big deal; I’m pretty awesome. I said I didn’t want to brag, but that was so five sentences ago.

Just for fun, here's the team back when we still worked in the office on the day Mona did her baby gender cupcake reveal. I had just joined HH, though I'm not in the picture. Good times! But saving that commute time has its perks! 

Personally I have a lot more time on my hands now that I no longer have to commute to our Haute Hijab office in New York City every day. On a typical day I’d spend three hours on a train. I haven’t had to do that commute since March 12th, when I took the 7:28 a.m. train and came home on the 6:33 p.m. I have saved 552 hours of commuting time, but it’s not like I’m fixated on that or anything.

Anyway, just because there is more time in the day for work or whatever things you do doesn’t mean you should spend your time doing that. Take up a hobby, focus on a new diet (did I tell you I lost 30 pounds since March?) or just do little things for yourself. Of course our Blog Editor Dilshad and Marketing Manager Noor would probably like to throttle me right now, because they have kids who suck up their time and thus this advice may be hard to take. But jokes aside, I still stand by it. We all really need to 

carve out a little bit of time for ourselves

Also, everyone should feel bad for me because I’ve only had three vacations this year. (Ok, maybe my brand of humor isn’t for you. It’s my way of coping.)

These are just four things that are very easy in principle to do. In practice they require dedication and discipline. By default, 2021 has to be better than 2020. But even if it somehow isn’t, you can take these steps to make it a better “you” year. Start your plan for 2021, and finish the year right with a clean closet!

Here's What I'm Leaving Behind in 2020. What Will You Leave Behind?

I am not a hijab-wearing woman, or a woman for that matter. I am, however, a Star Wars fan. So, if you guessed that I’m a white male in his 30’s, you’d be correct. I have been working at Haute Hijab for almost a year now as the Marketing Specialist and have learned a lot in that time about hijab-wearing women and a bit about Islam in general. It’s been a cool experience. While I have no idea what the daily life of a hijabi is like, I did notice a few interesting parallels between the Star Wars title character in 

, which airs Friday nights on Disney+, is completing its second season with a third scheduled to debut late 2021. The season finale airs next week. This show is probably best known for debuting Baby Yoda, the most adorable and meme-able character on TV. It excels as a show due to its excellent storylines, exceptional costuming and imaginative locations. If you’re a Star Wars fan, chances are you love The Mandalorian. And if you are not, this show is a great place to start!

First what is a Mandalorian? They are a group of men and women in the Star Wars universe that follow the Mandalorian Code of Honor, which includes:

4. Raising your children as Mandalorians.

There’s a lot about the title character, called the Mandalorian, that reminds me about Muslim women who wear hijab. Admittedly I probably would not have put this association together prior to my joining HH. But, it’s been very interesting to see it all unfold. The tenet that most reminds me of women who wear hijab is the first part of the code. A Mandalorian should never remove their armor or helmet in the presence of others. Apparently that’s a question 

: Do you wear it all the time? Can you ever take your hijab off?

The title character of the Mandalorian is asked in season one episode four, “How do you eat in that thing?” The answer is extremely complicated, and I hope I can explain it. A Mandalorian … removes their helmet in privacy and eats like any other human. Phew, I think I did it, I hope those 13 words weren’t too verbose or intricate. Just like hijab-wearing women of course remove their hijab in washing their hair, there is a simple answer that many people cannot fathom. Nothing mysterious here.

Just a little Baby Yoda-Haute Hijab humor for you!

In the show, everyone who “Mando” meets has an opinion about him before ever hearing him speak. Some are respectful and curious while others are immediately belligerent. That sounded familiar to all of my hijab-wearing HH team members. The first scene of the first episode does a great tutorial on what Mando's life is like. In a bar, an angry man confronts Mando and demands his armor. Whether Mr. Angry knows this is extremely offensive to his culture isn’t detailed. 

The Mandalorian is able to “deal with” the angry man without the angry man removing his armor. It reminded me of my HH hijab-wearing team members telling stories about 

 by people who hadn’t even spoken to them or gotten to know them.

Here on the blog, our editor and writers have 

 of Kuiil, a wise man who had never met a Mandalorian but read about them. He is not the same culture or religion as the Mandalorian but takes time to understand why Mando can’t take his helmet off. 

At one point in the show the Mandalorian needs Kuiil’s help as a translator speaking with some aliens who stole the Mandalorian’s ship. The aliens want to trade the ship for the Mandalorian’s helmet. Kuiil, in this situation, explains the seriousness of the request and how the Mandalorian can never take off his helmet.

The Mandalorian instead nearly dies trying to steal an egg from a creature called a “Mudhorn,” which the aliens agreed to trade for instead of the Mando’s helmet and armor. This reminds me of the resolve that so many hijabi women show every day in their commitment to hijab and their resolve to wear it even when it feels difficult or even dangerous to do so. (There’s an ongoing discussion happening this month on the blog and our social media platforms under the hashtag #LikeYouMeanItHH that has conversations specifically about hijab intentions. Check it out if you can.)

A Quick Quiz: Who Is This Question About?

Just for a little more fun, I found some questions, comments and reddit threads and removed the subject. See if you can guess which are about hijabis and which are about Star Wars:

1. So what's the deal with ______ not removing their ______?

2. Why exactly can't they remove their _____?

4. Maybe that is stupid, but if the _________ never remove their ______, how do they eat, drink, brush their teeth or even scratch their nose? Did you ever have a ______ on? Sweaty, warm and stuffy.

5. How do __________ eat in public while wearing a ______?

 is a very well done show, with nuance, amazing sets and, of course, Baby Yoda! Our Blog Editor Dilshad Ali and her husband watches it with their kids, and we both recommend it highly. And, if you were wondering, all but number five in the quiz were comments about 