I remember a time when my birthday was the most anticipated event of the year. I would wake up feeling ecstatic. Another year older, a day all about me, and of course the gathering of friends bearing gifts and chocolate cake. With my big twentieth looming, I am feeling nostalgic and a bit like Peter Pan. Growing up is hard and birthdays definitely become less special the older you get. Another year older, another candle on the cake of life.
In college, your birthday is basically like another normal day of the week. Your mom will probably call and tell you she loves you, and your cousins and sorority sisters might write on your Facebook wall, but gone are the days of bouncy houses and princess themed cupcakes. But never fear birthday girl, just because your special day happens to fall on a Monday, and you have three tests that day (because everyone knows professors ruin lives), you still deserve to be treated like a queen!
1. Throw a party at your fave restaurant and invite your besties.
Most of my teenage year birthday dinners were spent at the Cheesecake Factory, humiliating everyone at the restaurant (myself included) when all the waiters paraded out with a slice of Godiva cheesecake while singing “happy birthday.” The only difference from then and now is the closest Cheesecake Factory is in Atlanta, but The Hound makes a close second. Grab a couple of your closest girlfriends, put on some bright red lipstick, and go out to celebrate your day of birth!
2. Get yourself a cupcake… or a whole Publix birthday cake.
Everybody knows it’s not a true birthday until you have a slice of cake! No judgment if you decide to order an entire cake from Publix either. Just don’t forget the candles!
3. Facetime your parents and demand (nicely) that they sing to you.
As much as we hate to admit it, we all love attention, but the most awkward part of a birthday is the singing. I don’t know about you, but I always feel so uncomfortable (and obligated to creepily smile) as everyone sings to me. However, after being in class all day with not one mention of a “happy birthday,” the best remedy is to call mom and dad and have them sing to you. Trust me, you’ll appreciate it. After all, the little things mean the most.
4. Skip your 10 a.m. lecture and go to the nail salon.
Who said you have to go to class on your birthday? JUST KIDDING. You probably should still go to class but don’t forget to take some time out of the day to do something YOU want to do. Whether this is going to the nail salon or hanging out with puppies at the Humane Society, today is still all about you.
5. Buy yourself that pair of boots or that gorgeous designer purse you’ve been lusting over.
If you are lucky, at least one of your relatives will send a birthday card (with a Jackson in peaking out the top). If not, use your special day as an excuse to buy that pair of shoes you’ve been lusting over all season. And don’t be afraid to tell the sales associate that you are celebrating… yourself!
At the end of the day, you will still be one year closer to being a grown-up with a job in the real world, and chances are you probably weren’t showered with gifts, but hey, at least you got Publix cake.