Family Photos: A New Birthday Tradition?

Well, I’ve been 34 for more than 24 hours, so I suppose it’s official: This age is sticking around for awhile. A whole year, actually.

And while I’m still trying to figure out how this new age looks on me, I took a look at some of the photos we snapped throughout the day yesterday. Oh, boy, did a theme begin to emerge.

To put things in context, check out last year’s photos here and here.

Yesterday, I kicked things off by spending some time at my Alma mater. The library is the perfect quiet spot to get some work done — even though seeing all those young people did make me feel a bit, umm, older.

We then had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants on campus. The cafeteria-style hot spot is home to mouth-watering taco salads and the kind of nachos that just seem to balloon after you make them, as evidenced by my lunch yesterday. And did I mention the delicious Mountain Dew fountain drink? Yup, there’s that too.

Now, here’s where things start to get a little Twilight Zone-y. We took a walk around campus, just like we did last year. Although this time, we explored a different side of campus — last year, we look around the building my father worked in and this year, we walked through the building that I had most of my classes in. I’ll be honest: It was all pretty surreal. I mean, I hadn’t set foot (err, wheel?) in that place since I graduated in 2005.

TEN YEARS AGO.

I was a wee babe of 24 the last time I rolled through those hallowed halls. Yesterday, I was an adult woman of 34. It felt weird putting things in such stark contrast like that, as if life were a series of single Polaroids as opposed to a fluid experience. Does that make sense?

However, my age didn’t make me immune to the allure of Baskin-Robbins. Just like last year, we found ourselves at the same table, enjoying a tasty treat. Seriously, my chocolate chip sugar cone was the BEST dessert I’ve had in a loooong time.

So, have you figured out what we’ve learned here, friends? It looks like the whole going-to-eat-on-campus-look-around-and-go-for-ice-cream thing is becoming somewhat of a birthday tradition for me. It can still be a tradition even if you’ve only done it twice, right? Because there was something oddly comforting about revisiting that part of my past yesterday. Yes, I know that I can never go home again. I know that rationally. But it was nice to take that little walk down memory lane, if only for one afternoon. Maybe it was a way for me to feel like my father was with me on my special day. And maybe he was with me. It’s a nice thought, isn’t it??

Also, THANK YOU for all the lovely, sweet birthday wishes, friends! You helped to make my day so much brighter, and I hope you know how much I treasure this community that we’ve built over the last seven years. Hope you all have a great night…LOVE YOU!!! xoxo