I feel old...

Another year has come and gone! The belated birthday card I received last night reminded me that I am now officially in my mid-20s. Sometimes I just want to go back to college where my biggest concerns involve passing a test and which outfit will be "the one" for the 1889 dance, but then other times, I'm doing everything I can to distinguish myself as "older" than all the "kids straight out of college." (No offense recent grads.)

I was delighted  to celebrate with people I genuinely care about. Starting off with a wonderful weekend in Williamsburg with mom and dad, I arrived back at work to a cheerfully decorated office and an inbox stocked with birthday cards.

That evening I arranged to spend my birthday evening with a small group of close friends at one of my favorite low-key spots in the city. This birthday celebration wasn't about bells and bows, cake and candles; instead, it was about celebrating the life I've built in DC in a short two years. Pardon me for sounding cheesy -- I come by it naturally. We had a fun-filled evening at American Ice Company, which I refer to affectionately as "a garage party, just without the pong table." The bbq was good (and cheap), and the atmosphere was perfect for celebrating with my friends. Unfortunately, it's a little dark for perfect pictures.

 Converse Ladies

The Boyfriend with the Birthday Girl

Roommie Tasha, Ian, and Cousin Christina

My sweet boyfriend walked Tasha and I home, and along the way, Tasha was determined that we should celebrate with cake and ice cream. We stopped at the CVS on the way home where I convinced her that she REALLY didn't have to make a cake that night. We then narrowed in on ice cream and leftover cookies. Once  home, she created an ice cream/cookie confection with a candle on top, and with her talented singing voice sang Happy Birthday. It rounded out a wonderful birthday!

Okey, so I'm not old; I realize this. However, I spent the afternoon with a few aches and pains, and I'm not above bringing in a heating pad to sit in the back of my chair (I did it twice last week.) I believe all these aches and pains are a result of my weight-loss induced exercise hiatus, but I have to say, I thought today, "Hmmm, this must be what it feels like to be old."

Cheers to being 25!