from nhanusek on flickr (click photo)

Each year on February 8, my family and I celebrate the day of my birth. This year, it marked the 24th birthday and oi, what an odd but lovely day it was!

Actually, my birthday started out with working late Sunday evening and still being at work when the clock struck midnight. I didn’t get to sleep in though this morning, as today, my mother had one of her regular check-ups at the hospital (she was diagnosed with breast cancer pretty much a year ago from today) and I had to drive her to the next town over.

It is my guess that it is needless to say that, when I first learned about her appointment, I pretty much threw a fit. The idea of spending your birthday at the hospital being reminded of a time you do not want to repeat doesn’t sound too appealing, does it?

Anyway, we made it out in under an hour, so there was some time left to browse the shops and then pick up my father from work. Cake and coffee were had before we left to have dinner at a Greek restaurant around town (I managed to drop my phone onto the tiled floor in the bathrooms; the phone wouldn’t work for a good hour after that, meh!).

In terms of presents, I got some pretty cool stuff although I’m really not too much of a material girl when it comes to birthdays. However, one of my friends gave me a book (Slam by Nick Hornby – one of my favourite writers), chocolates and tea and my parents are paying for my new shiny floor which will be put in my room come Saturday. They also gifted me with a trip to London, which means I’ll be in London March 19 until March 21, just in time to see Forever The Sickest Kids.

And that my friends brings me to the cute graphic junegloom/relivelastnight made for me:

birthday wishes

CUTE, RIGHT?

Also, I got a special post over on my friend Ann’s blog. You can have a look at it here. I love the picture of us so hardcore. It was taken the night Ann and I met Russell Crowe. Ha.

Everyone, thank you for your kind wishes! You have really, really made my day so much more awesome!

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve made any plans on this day last year for what I wanted to achieve in the next 365 days. This year though, I want to work on my self-confidence and also on the impression people might have of me. Technically, I shouldn’t care what people think of me but lately, I feel like people underestimate me. Some are deeply surprised to find out I see and hear a lot more than I let on and that I think about a lot more than I claim to do.

Maybe I really need to act my age now?