I currently run Kali Linux 2020.3 with the xfce. This informs the choices that I have made to my system. I would prefer to run GNOME desktop, however xfce is much more stable in the vmware on my older system.
Since I do the entirety of writing (both prose and code) in vim, I really like having the Caps Lock and ESC keys swapped as this makes changing modes much easier.