The time before COVID-19 feels like an alternate reality. In March, the first major outbreak in the U.S. was identified at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, outside of Seattle. Families could only visit loved ones outside their windows. School went online. Businesses closed. Asian-Americans felt the pressure of increased racism. Hand sanitizer and toilet paper flew off shelves. Healthcare workers faced an exhausting new challenge. Everything was different.

In May, George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police. This set off an unprecedented wave of protests for Black lives and against police brutality nationwide. The tension and hurt in America felt higher than ever. Thousands hit the streets in Seattle. Flash-bang grenades, tear gas and pepper spray filled the neighborhood of Capitol Hill. An autonomous zone, later called CHOP, was formed. The marches continued.

In the summer sports came back to Seattle in some form. Teams played in empty stadiums filled with tarps or fan cut-outs. For the first time, most leagues widely acknowledged the Black Lives Matter movement. The West Coast faced another difficult fire season, and masks we’d been wearing served yet another purpose.

America hurtled towards the Presidential election. In Seattle, people cast their mail-in ballots earlier than ever. After 4 days of waiting for a winner, most networks called it for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on November 7, and people came to Capitol Hill to celebrate. With December’s news of a vaccine arrival, many are looking at 2021 with higher hopes. It’s got a lot of work to do.

This was a challenging year to be a freelance journalist. I was grateful for editors who sent PPE and safety gear, and for the Seattle journalism community, as we navigated this new world. Learning how to safely and ethically photograph in a pandemic and unprecedented protests was a group effort. Many thanks for taking a look!

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The Sounders welcome back fans with a win to open 2021

Seattle Sounders 3 , Minnesota United 2

Nov. 20, 2020, Seattle, WA

Lindsey Wasson/ Reuters

Lindsey Wasson/Reuters

Lindsey Wasson/Reuters

Lindsey Wasson/Reuters