Older...and Wiser?

Last week I celebrated my 25th birthday, which is a big milestone if you're excited about renting a car for cheaper.

I actually get excited about every birthday, milestone or not - mostly because it's a day when I get a lot of attention. It's funny that even though every single one of us has a birthday, we act like the world centers around our own individual birthdays. Like as if each person with a birthday is the first to have one. Regardless - it's a day when I can feel totally special.

My parents were in town, so they took me to lunch. My co-workers decorated my office in pink galore. I even got THREE sets of flowers - one from Steve, another from my sister and then from my friend Erica. Ahhh, it was a good day. I ended the day with drinks and pizza at this new place downtown called Dive Bar where there's a tank with actual mermaids! OK, not actual ones, but just humans dressed as them.

Besides feeling special, I feel like birthdays are a time to reflect on life (as if I don't do enough of that already) and if I'm happy where I am at any given age. I'm not sure where I really pictured myself at 25, but overall, I feel like I'm where I want to be - living on my own and being a career girl.

I also think about happiness a lot. I'm always sitting at the edge of my seat, waiting for that turning point to happen when everything just fits together like a puzzle piece and I'm brimming with joy every day. But who's to say that's the definition of happiness? Maybe happiness is just being content, not shitting rainbows every day. Maybe I've been overlooking what I have and not realizing that I don't need to wait around for anything - I'm already happy! It's like that famous quote: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." So very true. I need to work on living in the present more.

In other updates, last week I had an embarrassing moment when I went to lunch with my co-workers. Now, for anyone that knows me, you'll know how much I loathe seeing people I know unexpectedly in public. Even seeing people I enjoy being around - it's a weird thing I have about seeing people outside of where I'm expecting to see them. I've been cursed with this affliction since childhood. I remember seeing a boy from school at the grocery store and almost peeing my My Little Pony underwear.

Anyway, I went to lunch to a place I rarely go, and in the parking lot I spot the car of a guy I went on like 2 "dates" with back in the fall. He was the guy whose mom is in my yoga class, and she actually got my number to give to him (umm, yes I noticed this as a red flag from the get-go). We hung out a couple times, and it went nowhere. He was just not my style. So I noticed his car in front of another restaurant, and I assumed he was there.

Nope. I spotted him once we were inside the place, and I turned 6 shades of red. Then what do I get? A text from a number not in my phone saying "I see you." Shit. No getting out of this one. So I popped over and said hi. Thankfully he was with his mom, whom I really like, so that made it less awkward. Ugh, I just hate seeing people I know in public! As I wrote in my last blog, my social graces are somewhat lacking when I'm caught off guard. I tend to say very ridiculous things. Like when I blurted out to them out of nowhere when it got silent, "Yesterday was my birthday!" Umm, Trace. No one gives a shit. Just stick with the weather. That's always a safe haven.

In other news, I slept more this weekend than I have in a long time. I went to bed at 9 p.m. on Saturday. Yeah, yeah. Break out the single lady jokes about crocheting and cuddling with my cat. Now I'm a grandma to boot. But I must admit - I awoke on Sunday feeling like a million bucks. Nothing beats a complete night of sleep!

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I'm heading to San Diego for my grandma's memorial. OK, so that part is not exactly the type of hootenanny you look forward to, but I love spending time with my family. There's nothing I enjoy more! I'm also going to a spa - overnight! - with my sister and cousin. Sure, I'm poorer than Oliver Twist, but we planned this months ago, and I'm not going to let a little financial bump get in the way of one little (and much-needed) splurge.

So far, the start to my 25th year has been great.....and happy :)