happy birthday to me.

Ah, yes, another successful journey around the sun.  Here I am, twenty-seven years of age; another year older and another year wiser (or so I like to think).  It was a wonderful day.  I have such amazing friends and family; I must be the luckiest girl in the world!

Doug and I kicked off the birthday celebration with a very special/romantic/elegant brunch at the Elysian Cafe in Hoboken for some scrumptious food.  We stuffed ourselves silly with coffee, irish oatmeal, and eggs all while watching the little birds scrounge for food and enjoying the cool breeze that whisked by.  I felt like I was in Paris again!  After breakfast we headed into the city for a day of walking, wandering, and exploring.  We enjoyed a somewhat-rushed but nonetheless enjoyable tour of the Museum of Modern Art, scarfed down a couple hotdogs, and relaxed in Central Park.  For dinner, we ventured to the West Village to enjoy some tapas and sangría at Las Ramblas.  I still cannot get over how charming it is to simply sit and enjoy good food, good wine, and good conversation with someone you love; I could not ask for much more in life.  Doug and I devoured five small plates of quail egg and duck chorizo, grilled octopus, fried calamari, prawns, and - of course - queso (cheese)!!  ¡Qué delicia!  It was simply mouth-watering.  Though our budget cannot afford such indulgences on a regular basis, I will certainly be dreaming of our next edible adventure.

Today, my actual birthday, was much less adventurous but equally as pleasant.  Douglas and I began our morning with mediterranean omelets, ala Chef Jenna Leigh, and enjoyed a comforting sermon about life after death; the pastor mentioned my mother's name and it was a really nice way to start off the day.  We went for a jog in the park, enjoyed a few beverages with my neighbors, and scarfed down a delicious dinner cooked for us by my lovely sister, Sara.  After what is always entertaining conversation at my dad's house, we (half the Wilson family plus Doug) took our traditional trip to Take-A-Break in Tuxedo for my birthday treat: a soft-serve vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkles (always!).  It was such great day and I am so blessed to have such caring, loving people in my life.  So far this summer has been everything I could have hoped for.  I cannot wait to find out what the next few weeks bring and what sort of joy and adventure I will meet in the next year of my life.  Thank you for being here with me for the last 365 days; I hope you will keep coming back so we can share many, many more.