So, my birthday is coming up. The big 1-9. Like many other people, it will be spent in quarantine. While this isn’t ideal, I am grateful because otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to come home from school and celebrate with my family, and now we have the opportunity! Lucky for me, I have been able to see how others are finding creative ways to celebrate, and I plan to do the same.
A typical birthday celebration for me would be going to Olive Garden, having friends over and eating lots of cake. This year’s celebration will include Olive Garden take-out, facetiming my friends, and still eating lots of cake because some things just never change.
Earlier this week, my step-sister had a “birthday parade” where friends and family all drive by the house at the same time with “happy birthday” signs and honk the entire time. This is super cute and a great way to see all the people you love from a distance on your special day! Personally, I live at the corner of a dead-end so this one might not be in the cards for me but if you have a birthday coming up or know someone that does, I would suggest getting the word out!
During quarantine, people have been getting very creative. From family Kahoot games, to drinking games over Zoom and I even saw one family on Tik Tok create “Quarantine Olympics.” If you are planning on hanging out with all your friends virtually like I am on my birthday, creating a fun game for everyone to play will be a great way to keep the conversations flowing and everyone involved! Plus, celebrating virtually gives people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to come in person an opportunity to celebrate with you.
I always say “it’s only fun if you make it fun.” So make your birthday fun! Don’t focus on everything you are missing out on (like the unlimited breadsticks at Olive Garden) but rather make the best of it and when this is all over you can celebrate twice with everyone in person!