35th | Bag Raid

As I’ve said, I stopped celebrating my birthdays when I turned 20. And ever since family and friends would throw me surprise parties where, for the most of it, I would come under-dressed or unprepared, obviously. I am not really big on surprises but I’ve always appreciated their efforts, even when it’s also finding a good enough excuse to see each other and get drunk.

Every year, on my birthday, for the past couple of years, I leave and go on an adventure. This year, I was gone for 12 days so when I came back, friends were planning to get together as we haven’t seen each other for months. Honestly I was still so tired from all the hiking and chasing missed flights that I did not respond to text messages or calls. I seriously just wanted to lie in bed. They kept planning and I kept ditching, I had so many excuses.

But then, they know me too well. They asked me to have dinner at this new ramen place, Nezu, and I caved.

Went to get some drinks at Urit after dinner and the waiter blew their surprise (hahaha). He was like, “Ipagwa ko na maam ang cake or karon lang na i-surprise?” (Maam, do I take out the cake now or later as a surprise?), while I was sitting there and Elaine was like, just take it out.

Thank you friends for letting me blow my cake! Group hug!

 

xx

DMV