The Braeburn Blog: Best Bday

25 has been a great age so far. Huge improvement from 23 and 24.

On the morning of my 23rd birthday, I ran 10 miles. My only friends in Nashville, Lisa and Jim, took me to my favorite taco joint for lunch. That afternoon I worked at my hostess job, and no one at the restaurant remembered that it was my birthday. I thought I was okay without being made a fuss over, but then the next day, when some of my friends texted me a belated happy birthday, I cried because of how forgotten and insignificant and alone I felt. I didn’t blow out any candles that year.

bday FaceTime with my best friends, Lisa and Jim <3

I ran 11 miles on my 24th birthday. It was a year later, and there was still no one in Nashville other than Lisa and Jim whom I could imagine enjoying time with on my birthday. So I flew to North Carolina to be with my family. My stepmom cut fresh roses from her garden and made me a vegetarian lasagna and chocolate cake. When I blew out the candles, I wished for friends and a job.

This year, I didn't run on my birthday because the weather was terrible and I haven't been running much in general because NYC. Instead, I got up early to swim at the YMCA — my go-to form of exercise in the city.

I ate two excellent breakfasts, one before swimming and one after. I did a little bit of work in the morning, and then headed to the MoMA for some peaceful birthday art-gazing.

Turns out it was a rainy day so the MoMA was NOT peaceful.

people looking at Starry Night

can relate

I liked this room.

other thing I liked

made from a glass slide found by the artist in Havana

this was called States of Mind (in order): I. The Farewells, II. Those Who Go, and III. Those Who Stay

Monet's Japanese footbridge <3

view from a MoMA window

I had planned to go to the Met after that but the thought of it being just as crowded forced me into a cafe instead. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on a personal essay I plan to pitch to NYT's Modern Love column.

NYC: April 3, 2018

Aside from my atrociously colorful umbrella, do I look like a New Yorker yet?

Then I had dinner with friends, yay! At an excellent Chinese restaurant in midtown.

among other things, we ate fake (vegetarian) duck

So that was the actual day of my birth. But the other half of this birthday being so wonderful is that I got to see my family! I flew to NC last week for a job interview, and got the fam together for dinner in Chapel Hill.

<3 <3 <3

They gave me a cake and flowers which I took in my Lyft, put through the x-ray machine, brought on the plane, brought on the train, and carried all the way to my apartment.

I served the cake (pictured above) at my self-hosted birthday party this past weekend.
Highlight of the party: Surprise appearance from none other than Joanna Kuang!