When I'm by myself in public I like to assume the role of flaneur...I'm not *just* sitting in a cafe drinking coffee, I'm observing & musing & making assumptions about the philosophies of modern day life...it makes people-watching so powerful...
Also love going to a matinee movie (if you're taking the day off, which you should if you can!)
Also can't speak highly enough of a good nature trail/walk. Trying singing/humming to yourself while you're on it, and counting how many different kinds of birds you can spot โฃ๏ธ Congrats on 29 trips around the sun!
Feb 19, 2024
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hey!
I spent numerous of my birthdays alone, so here's what worked for me
1. make a playlist of your favourite songs. literally every song you ever liked from when you were 10 to now.
2. go to your favourite place, but if you don't have one then just go to a park or a museum. I love people watching while listening to music.
3. book a spa day. that one I haven't tried but sounds fun. spa is better in solitude anyway.
4. eat your favourite food. honestly a game changer lol food is the most amazing thing we as species have created.
5. do something you enjoyed as a kid. painting, blowing bubbles, making sand castles. it makes you feel so good, like you're reconnecting with something that's been asleep deep inside you.
6. if you're not scared to talk to strangers then talk with someone you don't know. at a pub or in a line. could be fun.
happy early birthday!
May 17, 2024
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I try not to think of my age too much on my birthday, but the more I say it and write it throughout the year, the more it feels right. Spares me a few existential crisis to cope with it gradually.
I feel awkward asking people to celebrate myself, so I usually just ask friends and/or family to go out to a restaurant I like. It's a lot more casual and doesn't require much planning. I sometimes also don't tell people it's specifically for my birthday ๐
helps take the pressure and expectations off if people can't come.
Happy early birthday! Hope you'll have a great day with whatever you choose to do!
Jan 7, 2025
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my birthday often falls the week of thanksgiving, so i usually just take the day off as a "extending the long weekend" if i don't already get it off. since i moved to the west coast ~3 years ago and most of my friends and family are back in new york, every year on my birthday in the morning i make sure to:
1. respond to every single birthday text i got, and if possible hop on a quick call with as many people as i can. basically just a gratitude practice of "hey as i've gotten older i've not only developed meaningful relationships, i've also held onto a lot of meaningful relationships."
2. eat breakfast out; i think my birthday breakfast for the last two years has been Oddfellows Cafรฉ + Bar (oddfellowscafe.com), but taking the time to have an extra special solo (or with my partner) breakfast keeps the scaries at bay for at least a couple hours
3. going shopping for a birthday gift for myself in person so i have something to open when i get home.
after that it's pretty much just about having a couple extra things to do during my day like trying a new restaurant / going to a favorite for lunch, running a "fun" errand like dropping off film to get scanned, and then meeting local friends for either dinner out and / or cake and games back at my apartment, etc.
having something where i can look back and feel like i did something is all i'm looking for; i think through my late teens / early twenties i put a lot of emphasis on wanting my my birthday to feel "special" which meant it was doomed to not be "special" enough. since pivoting to having fun my birthday has felt a lot more special since it's just different from the monotony of a normal day, and there wasn't any extra pressure on it
Apr 1, 2024
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feral.........
Feb 20, 2024
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Last year my new year's resolution was to get hotter. To this day it is the best resolution I've ever made, because feeling hot forces you to be embodied.
In 2023 I genuinely put time and energy into considering my corporeal form. What cuts of clothing make me feel powerful? What colors? What fabrics do I like to feel on my skin? What hairstyles accentuate my bone structure? What physical activity could I actually sustain and enjoy? How does my body feel energetically when I eat certain foods?
It brought me out of a haze of digital overwhelm; I was no longer an avatar but a living, breathing, sweating, dancing, fucking human. Consider getting hotter today!
Feb 19, 2024
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Become the bubbe you always dreamed of being โฃ๏ธ
Some phrases to get you started:
Chutzpah - a Yiddish classic, "panache", guts, grit, spunk
Schlep - also a classic, meaning to lug a bunch of stuff around
Kvetch - to whine / complain. This is very important.
Schmooze - Being able to schmooze is the most important life skill: making chit chat and buttering people up along the way.
Mishegas - Craziness. It's very helpful to blame everything on mishegas...
Feb 23, 2024