It seems like whenever my birthday comes around now it's just a dreadful reminder that I'm getting older. But, when I saw Kate's idea to take her entire birth month and celebrate every single day, I knew I was doing it wrong. We loved following along each day of the month seeing all the different things she did to celebrate. We talked to Kate to find out exactly how one's birth should be celebrated.
To start off, tell us the story behind this photo.
My 27th birthday was coming up and I had always thought I’d be a wife and mama and just be settled by the time I turned 27. But I am not yet any of those things. Combined with the intense presence of social media and seeing so many people having achieved those milestones, I was feeling like I had failed. Then a sweet friend helped me I realize that because I am not yet at that phase of life, I get to enjoy things and freedoms now that I won’t have when I do get married and have kids. So instead of a pity party birthday, I decided to use the letter board to celebrate what stage I am at, with daily reminders of how awesome this stage of life is!
Of all the days you documented for your birth month, which was your favorite?
My favorite day…I want to be super cliche and say all of them, but Day 29 was pretty spectacular. It was all my absolute favorite things wrapped up into one day: pink sand beach in Eleuthera, fresh fish tacos with a pink beer for lunch (literally no one else at the beach so it was just me and a girlfriend), tire swings over the water while singing basically the entire Moana soundtrack, a nap, then finishing up with a beach bonfire complete with s'mores while watching the sunset over the ocean. I mean, come on, that’s basically perfection.
Was it ever hard to find something for each day?
That was my biggest blessing -- it totally wasn’t! There is so much about life, and whatever stage of life we’re in at the moment, to celebrate that when you start intentionally trying to document a celebration of each day, you end up overwhelmed by how spectacularly awesome life is!
We really enjoyed "Day 18" where you shared some old and endearing photos of your grandparents. What was your favorite part of their love story?
My grandparents have the best love story ever; they met at a frat party and my grandpa gave my grandma a fake name because he wasn’t that into her.
He was seeing other girls as well as her, but still they ended up seeing each other for a couple of weeks, with him using this fake name. Then one Sunday my grandma was at church when a young man stood up to give an announcement, although she didn’t recognize the name, she did recognize the young man’s face and voice because she had been dating him! BUSTED! And at church no less! She confronted him after church, and they both thought it was hilarious and agreed that God had a sense of humor. He told her his real name and asked her out to dinner!
He graduated and moved 8 hours away. Then for three years they wrote each other letters every day before he proposed, they eloped in NYC, and traveled the world together for the next 58 years.
They both passed last year, and in their basement I found every letter my grandpa had ever written my grandma. She had kept every single one even though they broke up...twice. Now I start each morning by reading one letter so that their love story will continue to live on.
What was the most "Treat Yo' Self" moment of your birthday month?
Less of a treat yo’ self moment and more like a treat yo’ self week. I actually took a week off of life basically, packed a bag full of books and bikinis, and jumped on a plane to Eleuthera in the Bahamas to just reset, refresh, and get ready for the year ahead.
Lastly, we always like to ask: what is currently up on your letter board?
I’m actually abroad for a month and about to hike coast to coast across England and my letter board is coming along for the adventure!
