Reflections on Another Birthday

By Miss Adventure

Another year of my life has passed by. Overall, this last year has been a good year. Within the last year have been some significant changes such as buying my first piece of property - my adorable condo in a location I love - and getting a dog - a three year old German Shepherd mix rescued from doom at the LA County Shelter. I have to say that I have felt considerably blessed this last year. My house is small, but near the great outdoors (well, as out-of-doors as you can get in Orange County).

There are some perks to being single - that's for sure. I fell in love with my place and bought it all in a month's time - no on else to consider. I pounded the pavement looking for the right furniture and decor for my house - and didn't have to compromise with anyone. I get my whole closet to myself (and there still doesn't seem to be enough room). I did it exactly as I wanted it. I have to say that I love the way it turned out, too. Of course, there are times when I thought, it sure would be nice to have someone else's opinion...or it would be nice to have a man take care of this...or I wish I had someone to...

The reality is that I did have other people to run things by. I certainly had help - my parents came over and helped a lot! A few friends helped out too from time to time. I did have a man to take care of things - my dad and my brothers. I couldn't ask for a better roommate. This has all made for a very smooth transition.

So, along came my birthday last weekend and thirty-something single women probably aren't supposed to look forward to their birthdays since they know time is ticking (especially that biological clock shoved in the corner of their minds). I must say that I was looking forward to my birthday weekend. It started Friday night with a girls trip to the Angels game, which they won and had GREAT fireworks afterward (I LOVE fireworks) and then a little shopping trip afterward in the Angels store - they were having a 30% discount night for AAA members - happy birthday to me!

Saturday was pretty low key, and then Sunday was a celebration all day long. Brunch with my parents at Five Crowns (in my beautiful purple dress I finally wore out) topped off by eating some of their Creme Brulee and my Chocolate Truffle Tart. Then, off to this historic house sitting on a Laguna cliff overlooking the Pacific where we laid out at the beach until dinner time. Dinner with the small group at the Royal Hawaiian, topped off with a Raspberry Chocolate Mousse cake (which really did put me over the top) to celebrate not just my birthday but also the birthdays of two other September girlfriends in our small group.

Another part to my day was all the nice text messages, phone calls, and Facebook messages I received. It's so nice to be remembered on your birthday - definitely makes me feel guilty because I am one of the worst at remembering people's birthdays!

No, my celebrations weren't done yet! Tuesday night another good girlfriend took me to the Melting Pot for Swiss Cheese fondue and then and White Chocolate Apple Strudel fondue (and yes, my clothes are fitting a little tighter right now). I am definitely one of those girls who loves to chat and eat leisurely!

Overall, a great birthday and a big thanks to everyone who made it special.

Looking back, the moral to the story is this: Relationships are important. Family and friendships are key to feeling treasured and loved. Especially if you are single. Make sure you leave time to develop those relationships and that you work on yourself so you can be the best friend you can be to those around you. They are the most important part of your life and the part that won't let you be alone.