post-birthday post

This week has been a struggle to return to my blog, although I've been bursting to share about my birthday. So, 1 week late and on my brother's birthday, sitting on the corner of 13th and High St, drinking espressoish chocolaty frosted goodness, and stealing WiFi from Mcmenamins, I update you.

Last tuesday was my 23rd birthday. I was not excited about this event, and let me tell you why. Most of you already know that my carefully thought out and delicately executed plan of going to nursing school next fall fell through. The way I had figured it, I would go to nursing school from 9/09-12/10, then grad school for my psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner degree from 6/11-9/12. This would have me graduated and starting my career at age 26, a good time to begin life. Now that I'm not starting nursing school in the fall I won't be finished with my PMHNP degree until I'm 27. Although that is not old, it is an odd number. Odd numbers are messy and not very cool (with the possible exceptions of 15 [start driving] and 21 [start drinking][not together, of course]). Mostly I think that I'm just upset because my plan didn't work out and my mind hasn't adjusted to that yet.

So I wasn't thrilled about my birthday. But I went to Hood River to see Jon and Ben (Ben moved to Oregon a couple of weeks ago). On tuesday we got up early to have Dutch Babies (traditional Wierenga birthday breakfast), then Jon was off to work while Ben and I had coffee in Hood River. We dutifully looked for a coffee shop that would give me free coffee on my birthday, but there was none to be found. For the last 4 or 5 birthdays I've consistently gone to Full City for my birthday drink (then the other Full City location later in the day), and I missed this little tradition.

Next Ben and I jumped on my motorcycle to drive to Stump Town (I just learned the origin of that little nick-name for Portland. Anyone wanna hear?). Ben is 6 foot something, and was wearing jeans and a sweater, but he wasn't the last bit ashamed to hop on my bike for a ride. We took the scenic hwy that goes through the hills and next to all the waterfalls, and it was beautiful. Right as we were getting into Portland a torrential rain storm almost knocked us off the bike. I instantly pulled over that the airport exit, and we parked in the FREE motorcycle parking (next to departures) and rode the MAX to downtown. We briefly saw Jessica for coffee, then spent the evening with Jon (who drove in after work), Jason, Robin, and her friends Amy and Jimmy. We went to The Sauce Box (best happy hour in Portland), Powells, VooDoo Donuts, and Mcmenamins.

It was one of the best birthdays that I can remember. It didn't involve school or work, but it did involve friends, family, good food and drink, and phone calls or text messages from my loved ones who weren't with me. It left me with a warm and fuzzy spot in my heart, and I will always charish this birthday.