Another year… another birthday party that I threw for
myself! It has sort of become a tradition and I kept it going even though I’m
now living in Columbus and all of my Knoxville friends are far away. I have
made some friends through James’ friends and we had a group of about 25 people.
Most of our friends have children so they are always welcome as well.
This year we partied at the pool at our country club and
hosted a little BBQ on the lawn. It was so fun with tiki torches, red and white
tablecloths and modest flower arrangements that I made myself.
The chef grilled brats and burgers and we served them
alongside homemade, fresh potato salad, grilled corn on the cob, and a
delicious green salad. We then had Graeter’s ice cream for dessert (chocolate
chip cookie dough, raspberry chip, vanilla, and double chocolate chip).
It rained earlier on Friday, July 1st so I
was pretty worried that the clouds would hang around but by the time the party
started at 5:00 p.m., the sun was shining, there was a lovely breeze through
the tall pines, and it was a perfect 75F.
A quick reflection on the last year made me realize that
overall I have no fear of aging and in fact, welcome the wisdom that another
trip around the sun brings. Even though “37” is “late 30s” and no longer “mid
30s,” it doesn’t bother me. Never in a million years would I have thought that
I would be a Fulbright Scholar at the age of 36. Here’s to the surprises that
my 37 year old self will experience this year!
