Reflecting On Turning 26 (In Isolation)
Last Friday I celebrated my 26th birthday! Yes, from my living room and it felt special in its own little way. I took it upon myself to make it a fun and memorable day, to take joy in the little pleasures and the things that truly make me feel whole and happy. It has also been a time of serious self-reflection, as I assume it is for many of you. The specialness of getting to celebrate another year in good health and from the comfort of my home was not lost on me. So today I wanted to share a bit about my day and all the things that filled me with joy and gratitude.
My Birthday Suit
I will probably regret that subtitle very quickly, but since this is a fashion blog I felt it necessary to mention what I wore on my birthday. Also, cute outfits are few and far between these days, so when they happen I’d say it’s worth documenting. I decided to practice what I preach and wear something I love to lift my mood and make the day feel more special: polka dots! This dress is something I hardly ever wear as I was always saving it for special occasions, but in the spirit of not saving the best for best (although a birthday is pretty good) I decided to lounge around the house in it for the day. I think we all need to take note from Monikh Dale and start wearing gorgeous dresses around the house to up the ante and feel fab on a more regular basis.
All the Yummy Food & Drink
I like how so many people these days are really honing their baking, cooking and barista skills and then sharing that with the world. I had planned to make an angel food cake, something I used to love when I was a child, but alas specific ingredients weren’t stocked and unfortunately I realized that turning a year older still hasn’t made me love to bake. In lieu of that idea, we picked up a little key lime cake from the grocery bakery, something I’ve never actually bought as an adult so it felt all the more special. We also made a little cheese plate and of course, my current favorite drink, an Aperol spritz or two. And my dad treated us to sushi delivery too so I got to eat my favorite meal on my birthday, not too shabby!
An Influx Of Loving Messages
Getting showered in loving messages from friends and family is always a highlight of birthdays, wouldn’t you agree? I spent the day having long phone conversations with all my family, whom I miss a whole lot, but it felt nice to chat for a little longer than usual and just reconnect and see how they were keeping busy in isolation. It was a little funny to hear what everyone’s getting up to with all the extra time on their hands; specifically my brother, who had built a deck in the backyard in the first week and was planning a ton of other home projects. Connecting with family is something that brings me so much peace and a lot of laughs too.
A Short Trip Down Memory Lane
Another thing Kyle and I did was take some time to look at old photos and reflect on our early twenties. I’m really not an overly nostalgic person and feel there’s a time and place for pulling out all the old photos, weirdly something I don’t like to do too often. But earlier that week we had been looking through a bunch of my old photos and then later on at pictures of Kyle, from before we met. It brought back so many good memories of where we were living at the time and of who we were then.
And not to say all the memories were good, the early twenties can be a bit tumultuous at times and filled with so much self-doubt and confusion. But looking back is so important because it helps you see where you’ve gone since then, how you’ve changed and grown from those experiences into the person you are today. And here I go getting overly nostalgic and mushy, but all that to say sometimes revisiting the past can feel like a cathartic release that you didn’t know you really even needed.
