They Say It's Your Birthday

Turning 25 has come and gone. Nope, don't feel any different than I did last week, so in case you're waiting for something grandiose to happen when you hit a quarter-century, I wouldn't hold your breath.

I will miss 24 a bit, though. After all, I moved to Portland a day (two days?) after I turned 24, then I moved to New York 11 months later. I think I'll remember 24 as one of the best years: I fortuitously re-connected with an old friend and made some fantastic new ones. And I discovered a part of the country that will always be special to me. It's amazing how much can happen in a year, huh?

So it's kind of daunting—and exciting—to have had such an incredible year, filled with so much, and to look to the year ahead and wonder what it holds. Chances are, though, I will not be moving to a brand-new city all alone. That I hope never happens again. If I go anywhere (Austin, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Fran, Paris?!) I'm dragging one of you with me!

Now, onto the festivities. I am pretty damn lucky because I've only been here a month, yet I had about 15 people show up to my birthday party. In the rain. All the way to Brooklyn. And on debate night!

Trader Joe's is my savior. I honestly get a little tingly in there. Only $33 on food (including fruit, cheese, crackers, chocolate, bread, and hummus), and $15 on five bottles of wine (three-buck Chuck is incredible) and I was set.

If only I had money, and this would have been caviar.

Those five bottles of Chuck turned into this dangerously yummy sangria:

It's easy: wine, brandy, OJ, sprite, sugar, and fruit. You're done!

Then Jes showed up with dessert. That girl. She's amazing!

Frosting is a hard job.

Sara approves.

I agree.

I swear more people than these three came to the party; apparently I just stopped taking pictures after the sangria set in. All in all, it was fun to have had a Brooklyn birthday. And seriously, who knows where I'll be at 26.