Birthday Blessings

This past Monday (October 8), I celebrated my 29th birthday. I say that I celebrated it but to be truthful, I also agonized over it. Turning 29 reminded me that I haven't reached a lot of the milestones or achieved a lot of the goals that I thought I would have by now. I haven't settled down. I'm not married, I don't have kids, and I don't have my dream career. I spend a lot of time wondering what my big passion is and whether I'm doing the right thing.

Despite all these questions and doubts, I did have a good birthday. Mostly, I was provided with an opportunity to appreciate the friends and family members who enrich my life so much. While doing dishes the Friday before my birthday, I complained about getting gunk on my shirt and said that I need an apron. Smiling, my roommate Jenn grabbed an Amazon box and urged me to open it. Inside, I found an adorable polka dotted apron and a Julia Child cookbook with recipes that will probably be featured on this blog soon enough. 

My friend Natty always remembers my birthday and asks me what we're going to do to celebrate. This year, she suggested going to SAX, a plush restaurant and performance space in downtown DC. At the last minute, my roommate Lori who was battling a cold, decided to join us. I really appreciate the fact that she came out. We got all dolled up and took this picture just before we walked out the door. At SAX, Natty, Lori and I  sipped cocktails and nibbled on oyster burgers and fondue while watching live burlesque. To round out the evening, we enjoyed champagne and a beautiful birthday cake.

On Wednesday, my parents and brother came out to Silver Spring for a family celebration. We went to 8407 Kitchen Bar, where I had some of the best calamari of my life. The buttermilk breading and green salsa really made it flavorful. For my main dish, I decided on a seafood gumbo with oysters, shrimp, and okra. I couldn't decide what I wanted for dessert so my mom and I shared creme brulee and chocolate cake.





All in all, I enjoyed many birthday blessings but the best one was realizing that I don't have to have it all figured out right now. Each day gives me a chance to learn something new and to spend time with the people that are important to me. This may sounds cheesy but my birthday wish is to be present and to pay attention to my everyday blessings. I'll let you know how I did this time next year.