Rating: 💋💋💋😘
If a tree falls down in the center of a forest and no one else hears it, does it make a sound?
If a birthday occurs in the midst of social distancing isolation, does it even count?
Okay. Done being melodramatic, I swear.
Isolation has been an interesting time for us all. I still change out of my pajamas every day and make my bed and exercise, so I can keep some semblance of normal life. My pores are loving that I haven't worn makeup in so long. Days are filled with completing remote tasks for work, practicing yoga and dance routines, putting on comedic performances for Shannon - my prison buddy, spinning around in circles til I get dizzy and fall down, working on my scripts, online browsing with no purchases made, and listening to Ben Lee's 'Catch My Disease' on repeat.
I adore birthdays. I get so excited for them. It's just such an awesome thing, a whole day to celebrate how fabulous a person is. Friend, family member, random person who tells me it is their birthday, I'm stoked. It's important to show people how special they really are.
Last week it dawned on me that my birthday was quickly approaching. The odds of being released from isolation by March 24th did not seem good. To emphasize that, Governor Cuomo basically shut New York City down March 21st. I spent my birthday in my little quarantine quarters. In the grand scheme of things, one birthday really is not much of a big deal anyway. I am more upset for the high school and college seniors who are missing proms, senior weeks, and commencement ceremonies. You work towards those graduations your whole life. When you enroll in kindergarten, it's the first step in a seventeen-year (at min) marathon towards your college degree, and you've got to work your butt off. I think all of the 2020 graduates deserve recognition for their hard work. Also, a birthday is terribly insignificant in the grand scheme of lay-offs, overworked medical and service professionals, overcrowded hospitals, struggling businesses, and the wide breadth of this virus. Those things are the main focus right now and any sacrifice we can make to help is important.
I was not super excited for my birthday this year in the first place, before any of this Coronavirus outbreak even reached the United States. Getting older did not bother me, but past years made me wary of the celebration aspect of a birthday. I did not want to get my hopes up, I guess. What initially seemed disappointing, however, turned out to be the best solution to this concern. Having no expectations just made for a day full of lovely surprises.
March 24th could not be deleted from the calendar and I could not help trying to make it a little bit special. I did one of my favorite dance routines, wore my favorite yellow tee shirt, and watched He's Just Not That into You with Maura via Netflix Party. I had cereal for breakfast and an apple with almond butter at lunch, because I am very enthusiastic about both of those meals, simple as they may be. Also, it was a NEW jar of maple almond butter. Fresh almond/peanut butter is one of the most beautiful things in the world, make no mistake. Could there be a better birthday gift? It turns out, yes, but hold on. That doesn't fully come to the surface until after cocktail hour, during the lovely dinner party Shannon and I enjoyed.
For dinner, I went rogue and ordered in. I live in an area of Brooklyn far from Sweetgreen, Chopt, Panera, or any of those hipster salad bars, so I put together a craft salad from this place called Wholesome Gourmet. My salad included arugula, broccoli, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, black beans, avocado, pecans, tuna, and sesame ginger vinaigrette. All of my favorite things! Last time I ordered in a salad, many months ago from a different restaurant, the salad was dripping dressing. I don't appreciate dry lettuce, but swimming in vinaigrette? Disgusting. I learned my lesson. Now when I order salads I get the dressing on the side so I can control my own fate, mixing in just the right amount to moisten the vegetables without drowning them. It was delicious and fresh, which is all that I wanted. Even better, it was big enough to make leftovers for lunch, always a great deal. I would order from them again, so if you're in Brooklyn, worth a shot.
Shannon baked a delicious loaf of bread last weekend, so I cut myself a slice to enjoy with my salad. Shannon has been practicing her bread for months, so this was not a quarantine-crazed endeavor. I am happy to be her taste-tester. She got the recipe from her friend Cleo, who comes from Venice. The Italian bread recipe is phenomenal. The bread is sealed in olive oil, which brings such a delicious depth of flavor to the loaf. Thank you, Cleo! Shannon was disappointed it did not rise as much as anticipated, but everything else about the bread was top-notch. I think one more attempt and she will be making the fluffiest bread you ever saw.
After our dinner full of amazing conversations about college dating, the various kinds of frat boy (they can really be nice guys, don't stereotype), and music, Shannon shooed me out of the kitchen. I was banned from doing dishes, so, while we rested before dessert, my parents FaceTimed me. They assured me we will celebrate together when this madness is over, and I joked that I'll see them in July. (Hopefully we are freed sooner than that, but the news contradicts itself so much I don't know why I even bother to read it anymore.)
For dessert, Shannon baked me Ugly Cake. Ugly Cake is the absolutely mouthwatering, rich chocolate cake with buttercream frosting we celebrated with on every birthday throughout childhood. It's a little bit lopsided, but that is part of its scrumptious charm. Cake is my favorite dessert of all time, and Ugly Cake is my favorite type. A bad cake is so disheartening. When you cut into a cake and it crumbles, you know you just got served disappointment. Dry cake is gross. Shannon nailed Ugly Cake on her first attempt, because instead of a flaking, over-baked batter, the cake sliced apart nicely to reveal a thick, moist cake. A bit of coffee mixed into the batter gave a dark, super chocolatey taste to the cake that matched perfectly with the sweet, gooey buttercream frosting painted on top. Also, she really had to go through a lot to prepare that frosting, because our landlord keeps our building boiling. As soon as she removed the frosting from the fridge, it started melting, but she persevered. Her efforts did not go unnoticed. I really appreciated all she did to make the day special despite the weird situation we all find ourselves in. Shannon really is the best.
After dessert, I had a FaceTime wine hour with my lovely friend and college roommate, Kaitlyn. It was so fun chatting with her and sealed the deal on a wonderful day. I was absolutely astounded by how many people went out of their way to make the day special for me despite the circumstances. They are all collectively the best birthday gift.
Also, as far as parties go, I have decided to take a page from Cecily Tynan's book. Her birthday was also overshadowed by coronavirus, so she decided she just won't celebrate until this is over. She's not getting any older til then either. Sounds good to me. I'll have an extra long twenty-second year, and a party once we are all unleashed. That might be an even more fun celebration anyway, because it will be so wonderful to see everyone again.
Twenty-two was an important year for me because I learned a lot about letting go. I eliminated negative patterns of thinking, unfulfilling jobs (flashback to my month-long stint in retail last spring), unhealthy living situations, and toxic relationships. This made so much more room in my life to focus on my personal and career goals as well as the good people that surround me. Realizing this, I spent a lot of time thinking about the people in my life who have made the past twenty-two (and 367 days) so special. Social distancing was a gift in the sense that I did not have to worry about being disappointed, because there was no big fuss distracting me from the point. Instead, I just got to focus on what matters: the people I love. I have been incredibly lucky. Through all the ups and downs life has thrown at me, I have a great family and a wonderful circle of friends who offer amazing support, excellent advice, and endless opportunities to goof off. That's the best gift I could ever receive, on any day of the year. I only hope that I offer them the same. I hope that I make twenty-three a year to top all the rest by being a better person each day than I was the day before. That is always the goal.
I am so looking forward to seeing my friends and family again on the other side of this. It will be the happiest reunion ever.
XX,
MK