my 23rd birthday

I’ve always been a little high maintenance on my birthday. it’s not that I need it to be all about me (though let’s be real, who doesn’t love it all about them?) but for me it’s an excuse for a celebration and the coming together of all those important to me. even though I was far away from most family and friends, their love was felt and with each message I received my heart was a little fuller. (sara can vouch for me, I was literally squealing when I got them and I thank you all for remembering!)

sweet sara has made sure that my birthday has been a big hurrah, and with each santé my birthday lived a little longer than it probably should have. 

a few weeks ago sara and annie treated jenna and I (because her birthday is the day before mine) to a lovely home-cooked meal. it was wonderful sitting around the table with just the four of us again, laughing and catching up. and even better as it quickly escalated into a night of old school music blasting and lots of dancing. there was actually a moment when all four of us had our own corners and were going crazy.

my birthday celebration continued when sara and I were on vacation in malta and we decided to book a sailboat cruise, where I got to drive the boat for a little. and on the actual day we explored the capital city, half the time more concerned if valetta had a mexican restaurant for lunch (which they didn’t, but we found one close to where we were staying and they played lumineers the entire time we were eating, which felt too perfect and I thought sara had planned it out). I think there may have been a few tear puddles in my eyes.

during the day I passed a store playing whitney houston’s, greatest love of all, and though that was more a song between my dad and my sister, I instantly felt like I was getting an early morning phone call from my parent’s with their groggy voices singing me happy birthday. thankfully I have about 5 other renditions saved on my phone of them from last year so those sufficed.

we spent a night at a bar, spread out on a huge white sectional couch, with waves crashing on the rocks and barhopped around the island meeting really nice people. and true to character, we late-nighted from a vending machine.

my birthday lasted a little longer still when we got back to paris and jenna and I went to a favorite hipster place and thoroughly enjoyed our free tacos as we reminisced where the time has gone.

you all made my birthday so enjoyable, but sara, I hope you know how much your friendship means to me and how thankful I am for all you did to celebrate me!

I’m pretty unprepared for 23 if I’m being perfectly honest. a year ago I was blindly heading to a foreign country to live for a year, but at least I was headed somewhere. currently I have no longterm plans in my foreseeable future and am a lot less mature than I expected to be when my numbers reached this. but truth be known, I think I’m okay with that. I am so happy right now, and excited that my life is going to remain a little messy, because I’m the kind of person who leaves a bobby pin in the middle of my floor instead of picking it up and later that night goes right back to the spot to secure it in my hair. so oddly enough, messy works for me. (I’ll probably roll my eyes in six months if I’m still unemployed and reading this and want to hit myself for my naivety. hope not!) I’m thankful everyday that I felt a little bit of adventure inside myself and though it’s been a challenge at times, this year has taught me so much about myself. and while I feel a little undeserving of all I’ve been blessed with, I am so thankful everyday.