Boston Weekend

I went home for the weekend to celebrate my birthday, and while my stay was short, it was beautiful. With my closest friend, I shared a decadent breakfast of scrambled eggs with homemade waffles that were filled with blueberries and chocolate, and topped with yogurt, strawberries and bananas. With my family, I shared an assortment of salads and a slice of "Kiev" cake topped with a blue candle. I walked with my mom, talked with my grandma, and played violin. I'm glad I went.

B-day Diary Part 2

After admiring the Empire State Building, I headed to Cafe Lalo, not sure what to expect. When I got there, there was room at the bar by the windows for me, and I settled on peppermint tea, Belgian Chocolate Cake, and a candle. I received the tea in a bright yellow cup that lifted my spirits, and the waitress brought me a cake as "Happy Birthday" played on the speakers (which I didn't expect.) The waitress lit the candle three times so that I could blow out it out. Blow it out I did, and I dug into the mousse-y cake while sipping tea (I think I might have been disappointed by previous Lalo visits because I had opted for mostly crumb-like cakes, which can become dry by the evening's end). I was wished a happy birthday on my way out, and I walked happy in the rain until I boarded the train at Lincoln Center. The evening ended with phone calls and messages from friends, family, and others. It was a good start to twenty-six. A really good start.

B-day Diary

I began the day by waking up sleepy and then running to my first-ever pilates class, which I really enjoyed. Feeling energized, I set out uptown, walking down avenues that were unknown to me, enjoying the quiet, and stumbling upon greenery, bright blue doors, and still-hanging Christmas decorations. With a fancy smoothie in hand, I walked around Greenwich Village, Union Square, Chelsea, and finally Midtown, attentive to my surroundings but also in search of new clothes and a lotion. I ended up only with the lotion and my Sephora birthday gift, but I did it to the tune of music I really enjoyed (including spa-like music at Anthropologie.)

Birthday

I wasn't sure what to expect from my birthday this year, but I was very pleasantly surprised. On Friday, I walked into a decorated office and ate a strawberry cake with co-workers. I planned to treat myself well on Saturday with fitness, shopping, and of course, cake. While it rained as it had on birthdays past, I had a wonderful birthday that left me ecstatic about all the surprises I saw and full from all of attention that was paid to me.

Twenty Six

I greeted twenty-six about four hours early, with a cheery yellow cup of peppermint tea and a candle-topped Belgian Chocolate Mousse Cake. Even as I sat alone in the cafe, I felt loved, and was touched by all the care and attention I received from my co-workers, family, friends, and others this weekend.

It is good to be twenty-six.