Here’s to Another Year

Growing Old is Mandatory, but Growing Up is Optional-Walt Disney

Just like last year, I celebrated my birthday in an unknown place with strangers. It might sound like the worst birthday ever but I love celebrating my birthday in a new place away from home.

I’ve always loved celebrating my birthdays especially when my mom would throw amazing theme parties for us. Seriously my mom was the best birthday planner, my siblings and I had multiple Disney themes, Hawaiian, Halloween, different Cartoons themes, and even a pool party. Anything you can think of my mom probably did it.

But since my mom passed away it hasn’t been the same. My 21st birthday was the 1st one I celebrated without her and as much as my friends tried to make it special it wasn’t.

It wasn’t until I celebrated my 22nd while I was studying abroad in Spain that I genuinely enjoyed it. I didn’t think much about it until my 23rd when I celebrated it while I was interning in a small college town in Missouri.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to be able to live another year but where I celebrate my birthdays is now important to me.

My mom was a big part of my birthday celebrations and now that she’s not here, it just isn’t the same. It’s easier to celebrate it somewhere else that isn’t home (Houston). That’s why now and probably forever, I’ll celebrate my birthday in another city.

It might sound sad but I don’t see it like that anymore. Celebrating birthdays was important to my mom and she would’ve wanted me to genuinely enjoy that day.

So how did I spend my 23rd birthday….with my intern group at a “Mexican” restaurant getting drunk off of their pint size margaritas. The best part was when my new friends singed Feliz Cumpleaños to me. And can’t forget some of my new friends surprising me with a little gift.