Thirty-FUN

Today is my birthday! I’m not going to lie, last year I had a bit of an emotional breakdown at the thought of turning 30. A coworker had a birthday two days before mine, and we all sang “Happy Birthday” to her, and I had to leave because I was crying. I was having a major Sister Bear and too much birthday moment.

All COVID jokes aside, thirty was a good year. It’s easy to look at the overall scope of 2020, and think it was terrible, but there are always pockets of joy. At the start of the new year, I like to go through and write down things/people/experiences that I was grateful for each month. I go through my camera roll until I have something for every month. I thought I should do the same thing for my 30th year. So buckle up.

August 2019

I’ve talked before about my love of breakfast food. Last year for my 30th, my friends indulged my idea of a “Breakfast Crawl”, and I don’t know if there was a day when I had more gluten or more joy.

September 2019

My bible study group rented a house on Isle of Palms for Labor Day weekend, and we had the best time. Yes, a Barbara Bush biography is my choice of a beach read. “The last great American dynasty.” #folklore

October 2019

A friend was having a Halloween party. I can’t be in a standard costume. Ever. I was either going to be “Bad Guy” Fieri thanks to Billie Eilish or Elton John since Rocketman was in theaters last year. I went to Goodwill with my friend Michelle and said, “If I find a shirt with flames on it, then I’m Bad Guy Fieri. If I find a white blazer, I’m Elton John.” Hanging on a rack right when we walked in was that blazer. I hear you, God.

November 2019

This was quite a month. I attended a Knitathon with my friend, Caitlin. Got my fastest 5K time. Saw Eugene Levy’s eyebrows in person.

December 2019

Many years ago I started sending Christmas cards to my friends. Actually, it was the year Caroline and I lived together. We recreated a picture of us from Christmas as children and sent it to friends and family. Since then, I’ve kept the tradition going. Caroline has actual cute kids to feature. I just have my cute self. It’s kind of become a “thing”. People start asking me around September/October if I know what my card theme is. Maybe I’ll do a post and feature all my past cards in the coming months. Last year, I went around Atlanta dressed as elf on the shelf and called it “Kitty on the City”. I also wore that outfit to my work Christmas party and sat on the restaurant’s bar.

January 2020

All my dreams came true when Caroline and I went to Los Angeles for around 36 hours, and I got to walk around Stars Hollow.

February 2020

My friends held a “Welcome Spring” party on February 3rd (the day after Groundhog Day). I made these groundhog donuts with my favorite donut pan.

March 2020

I hopped on a plane to go to Ireland for my spring break after booking the trip only three weeks before. The week after I returned is when the world shut down. Talk about timing.

April 2020

The thick of quarantine. Marie, my roommate, made these cinnamon rolls, and it was the highlight of the month. Sad? Not at all. That’s how good they were. She will be sharing this recipe in the coming months. Don’t worry.

May 2020

I went strawberry picking in my favorite jumpsuit and learned how to make jam. It was a wild month.

June 2020

We went tubing in some of the coldest water that my body has ever beheld. I’m not being dramatic when I say that this is how I felt.

July 2020

We celebrated some cute girls turning one, and I went to Truett’s Luau for sweet potato waffle fries and a frosted pineapple. What a month.

I can’t believe another year has passed. It seems like I was JUST turning it up at Red Robin for my 21st. Yes, I spent my 21st birthday at Red Robin. With each passing year, I get cooler and cooler. Cheers to the tomfoolery of thirty-one.