Contrary to Alyssa Galin’s article, “I Hate My Birthday” (check it out here), my birthday is my favorite day of the year. My birthday is in August—yes, I am a Leo—and I have always looked forward to a day all about me.
My love for my birthday started young. I never liked parties, so my family would always go on a fun adventure for my birthday. And the best part of the whole day is I get to plan it! I have always been an organizer and love creating elaborate menus, activities, and decorations for my special day.
Each year, my birthday starts with a delicious homemade breakfast with my family, then the “main event” of the day. After the main event, we have a small dinner, and the day typically concludes with watching my favorite comfort movie, Harry Potter, while my family falls asleep together on the couch.
The main events are undoubtedly the best part of my days.
For my 13th birthday, we spent the day doing escape rooms.
On my 14th birthday, my family went on a waterskiing trip with my best friend at the time.
My 15th birthday was during COVID, so it consisted of a small family get-together with lots of laughs and an elaborate dinner menu (I planned it, of course).
My sweet 16 featured a trip to Disney with my family (definitely my favorite).
My 17th birthday was small, and I planned a game night and a Thai dinner with cute chopstick stands and a gorgeous table setting.
For my 18th birthday, we spent the day at the horse track, dressed up in our fancy dresses and enjoying endless food.
Each year, I try to outdo the year before. Sometimes, the main event is not as fancy as others, but the fun comes from spending time with my family. It is a day when my brother has to be extra nice, my parents can’t say no (within reason), and my grandparents go on and on about how proud of me they are.
As I get older, my birthday does change. Before the track for my 18th birthday, I had my friends over to celebrate. However, my birthday is at the end of August, so it felt much more like a goodbye. All my friends were moving to college the next day, so my birthday was filled with tears and goodbyes. My 19th birthday, my golden birthday, is the same day I will be moving into college next year. The day will feel different because it will be full of stress and carrying heavy things, but I am sure I will find a way to make it as memorable as all the other days.
A fun birthday is all about the attitude you have towards the day. Even if things don’t work out exactly as you had hoped, the day will be perfect by surrounding yourself with people you love.