[uprooted & relentless]

July 6, 2012

As an event planner, birthday parties have always been a big deal in my life, often resulting in tears of frustration. You see, I have very high expectations for the events I produce and I always assume that on my birthday, my special day, my friends should instantly do as I plan. If I’m hosting a game show birthday party I would expect my friends to eagerly clap and cheer and act out the commercials between segments, but unfortunately 10-year-old girls do not have the concentration or the interest of my young event planner mind. When I planned creative mall scavenger hunts I wanted everyone to follow the rules, but unfortunately this didn’t happen. Even as a 20 and 21 year old there was something about my special day that always brought tears. My high expectations for a perfect birthday never seem to play out accordingly but I hoped 22 would be a different year, the year to end the tears.

And luckily it was. I guess finally as a college graduate, a working girl in New York City, I realized that birthdays do not have to be the most incredible day of the year. I set my expectations lower and the result was a beautiful birthday filled with friends, good food, fruity cocktails and Channing Tatum. My birthday was on a Wednesday so I had to go to work but my event planner coworkers did not disappoint me, surprising me with a pyramid of macarons, my favorite, and sparkly pink lemonade in elegant champagne flutes. I won tickets to the filming of Late Night with David Letterman and was graced with the gorgeous presence of Channing Tatum promoting his new movie Magic Mike. Unfortunately there was no stripping involved, but he was still a joy to watch. I planned my first apartment party and created a dessert table to show off my event planning skills to my friends. Overall, it was a great birthday. I was nervous being in a new city with few friends, but my special day gathered the handful people I know in New York all together to celebrate. After the big 21 birthdays don’t seem quite as special. But with a new job, new apartment and life in a new city, I’m excited to see what year 22 has in store for me.

-Miraya