Birthday Weekend

Birthday

It’s been a while since my birthday (it was in January), but this year it was such a good one that I have to write about it. The celebration lasted three days, doing some of my favorite things with my favorite people.

Day 1

Saturday.

After a long day spent in the car with my mother, we were passing through downtown Amesbury on our way home when she suggested that we get a menu at Flatbread’s so we could order pizza later. To say the least, I was suspicious. I love Flatbread pizza. It was two days until my birthday, and my mom is not a big fan of Flatbread’s—to be honest, she thinks it’s overpriced and a little snobby. When I walked in, I saw a table filled with all my friends—it was my first surprise birthday party! Since turning 17 doesn’t really seem cause enough to have a big party, I had been planning to celebrate at a concert the following month with just my sister and two friends, so I was thrilled that everyone was able to get together to celebrate. We all shared pizza and salad, as well as a beautiful pink birthday cake courtesy of my sister, Diana, who had even made favor bags for everyone filled with sugar cookies. Dinner with friends was a great ending to an exhausting day, even though Diana forgot to bring me a birthday tiara.

My best friend, Klaudia, organized the whole event, and had even asked everyone to bring donations for my favorite charity, One Home Many Hopes, instead of getting me unnecessary gifts, something I had mentioned in passing to her at the gym several weeks prior. Usually for my birthday, I get the expected, generic gifts—some hand lotion, maybe a new shirt, or a scarf. I would rather take the money that my friends spend on gifts like these and give it to someone who needs it. One Home Many Hopes (OHMH) is an organization founded by my favorite columnist, Thomas Keown, who wrote for Metro newspaper before leaving to work fulltime with OHMH. This charity provides a safe place to live, as well as an education, for young women in Africa. These women go on to college, and have to promise to return to build another school. It’s a great organization that is really having a positive impact on people’s lives, and I have donated to them several times.

            

Day 2

Sunday.

Klaudia, best friend and pro shopper.

It costs $15.50 to take the train roundtrip from Newburyport to Boston. Cheaper than parking in the city, but still a ridiculously high price for a 40-mile trip on public transportation. The day before my birthday, Klaudia and I went into the city to do some shopping, and hopefully have some memorable adventures. We both hate being in high school, and going to Boston and pretending to be adults for a day is always a great escape. Sometimes it even works. After getting off the train at North Station, we planned to take the subway to Newbury Street, and made a terrible mistake. I still have no idea which subway we got on, but when we reached the end of the line, we were no longer underground and the only person in sight was an Asian man who didn’t seem to speak English. Eventually, another train arrived to take us back, and we managed to sort ourselves out.

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By now, I was feeling hungry, and it was mid-afternoon, so we wandered over to the Prudential Center in search of something to eat. We chose to dine at P.F. Chang’s, a first for both of us. I found it a little overrated; I don’t think the food was better than any stand in the food court, but the restaurant was beautiful and lunch prices were decent. The rest of the day was filled with shopping, and even though we both wanted to stay later, it was Sunday, and Klaudia, at least, had to go to school the next day.

   

Day 3

Monday.

            Finally. My wish was granted and I got to take the day off from school, since it was the actual day of my birthday.