My Second Quarantine Birthday Reflections

I’m about to turn 22 this April, which as you might have guessed means two things: this is my second birthday with the pandemic going on, and I spent my 21st birthday at home in quarantine with my parents. I have to say though, I’m not mad about that. I certainly will never forget it and it made me realize that some things just don’t need to be that big of a deal.

While it’s true that this year won’t be in quarantine exactly, life is still dictated by the severity of COVID-19. Honestly, it’s sort of nice that if I go out to a restaurant, we have our own socially distanced table. And even though time limits can be annoying, it almost forces you to have longer walks home or more time spent hanging out before or afterward!

I’ve always dreaded the big birthday dinners with friends from different parts of my life who don’t know each other. What I learned is that planning a few small meet-ups with a friend or two actually works better for me! A wine night or a trip to a local restaurant for a drink sounds great. 

I’m excited to be able to celebrate in different ways and spend more time just catching up with friends. I have to say though, I love taking pictures in cute outfits and this past year has given me more time to photograph moments. I always wanted to buy balloons for my birthday and have a little photoshoot with them. Now that I’m home more, it makes me happy to decorate and set up a backdrop. 

Plus, I’ve thought more about my style throughout this time because I’ve spent more time-consuming fashion content on Instagram and TikTok. I’ve always been a sucker for a deal, so when people share sale alerts or where to find a popular item for an inexpensive price, I’m even more excited to try it on and anticipate actually going somewhere to show it off for a small, safe birthday celebration! Even matching my mask to outfits makes me strangely satisfied.

Still, it’s crazy to think of all the things we did before the pandemic. Restaurants could have tables touching and bars and clubs were always crowded on the weekends. You could host a party without a capacity limit and go to the grocery store without a mask. It’s a little sad to feel like celebrating important days isn’t the same, but I think many of us have adjusted already. It seems as if things will be changed forever at this point, but with the vaccine in sight we can have peace of mind and take on this new normal! 

I’m looking forward to how birthdays change, no matter the circumstances. I can confidently say that whatever I do to celebrate, or even if I do nothing at all, it doesn’t matter because it was my own way of commemorating being another year older!

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