It’s my birthday tomorrow! I love my birthday, celebrating my birthday, and all that comes with it.

In the past, I’ve introduced myself on my birthday, I’ve talked about things I wanted to do, things, I’ve learned, and other ideas as well. This year, I want to talk about something a little different. I want to talk about celebrating birthdays. While I’ll draw on my own experience, I hope that anyone can use the ideas and tips I have to make sure your birthday is wonderful too!

I’ve done big things for my birthday. I’ve made my birthday celebrations very low-key. I’ve even had a joint birthday party. No matter what I do, I enjoy celebrating my birthday. It doesn’t always have to be extravagant, but I know I’ll have a good time.

Probably the most important thing when it comes to celebrating a birthday is to make the decisions you want to make. You should be able to celebrate your birthday the way you want to. I recognize that tastes may not match budget, and that’s fine. You can still have a grand birthday party in a small birthday budget. But for the most part and within reason, celebrate your day how you want.

One of my favorite birthday celebrations was my 21st birthday. I wanted to go out and have fun, but I didn’t want to do anything extremely over the top. I got a good number of friends and family, and we went to a comedy show. I had done comedy shows on a cruise, but in America, you usually have to be 21 to go to comedy clubs. After the comedy show, we went to a very chill bar because I didn’t want anything to be too loud. It was so much fun, and I was so thankful for everyone who came out.

I also like having new experiences for my birthday. For example, this past weekend, my parents took my partner and myself to go watch some vintage baseball. It was so new, so cool, and so much fun. I’ve had concert tickets as birthday presents, which is exciting and fun too! I enjoy getting to experience new and cool things that I may not otherwise have the chances or the means to do. I’ll remember watching baseball that directly correlated with my thesis research (which I still haven’t talked about by the way!) for the rest of my life.

It’s fun to have big birthday parties if that’s what you’re interested in, but I think it’s also fun to keep things low-key. I love going to a nice dinner and being with the people I love the most just as much as I love partying and doing fun things. I don’t have a ton of other plans for my birthday this year, and that’s good too. I know that I am celebrated and loved even when I don’t do anything extreme.

Your birthday should be about celebrating you in the way that you see fit and works for you. And if different cultures have different celebrations, then awesome! My advice and ideas are not one-size-fits-all. Things aren’t the same for everyone. Do what works for you and enjoy the day you have.

There shouldn’t be anything to fear about getting older. You learn and experience more. You have more chances and more opportunities. I know that I’m not that old. I know I still have things to learn. But I also know I like the life that I’m living and have lived. I take advantages of the opportunities I have and am constantly working to continue to improve. I’m thankful for what I have done and who I have around me. My birthday is just another day to be reminded and enjoyed of what my life has looked like for the past years with the hope of what my life will look like in the future. Here’s to another year of excitement, opportunities, love, and life!