I'm 30!!

I struggle with birthdays. I don't enjoy birthday traditions...who does?? No one can honestly say they like a room full of people singing "Happy Birthday" to them, right? So uncomfortable. While I may have spent some time feeling sorry for myself (I am 30 now after all), in retrospect this was such a great birthday with so many firsts for me and none of the awkward traditions I dread. Festivities started the night before my birthday. My friend Kristi-Lynn had invited me out for dinner, and I was so excited for a night out with one of my favorite women. We made our way downtown, where she had picked out one of the two restaurants on my bucket list: Bubby's down in TriBeca...

Where to my surprise, one by one three of my other good friends arrived. It was so fun being surprised each time one showed up. They totally blind-sided me. Earlier I had asked one if she wouldn't mind babysitting for me so I could go out with Kris. I really had no idea they were being so sneaky. From left: Allie Boothe, Julie Pearson, Tyra Beard, and Kristi-Lynn Gibson

I felt so humbled by this as most of these women are moving soon, and really don't have to invest the time in making friends at this point. So very thoughtful!

First time in TriBeca

Inside Bubby's

Flowers and cake

Brandon got us a babysitter that weekend so we could go out. He tried hard to get tickets to one of the two shows I want to see: Once and Peter and the Starcatcher, but it was not to be. We at least wanted to go out to eat at my favorite place, P.J. Clarke's.

Our walk to the subway.

I officially ate my way through 30. It was so fun trying new things too, which I've been wanting to do since we got here, but we've been too cheap to buy food we might not like. I had my first Indian dish, as well as my first taste of lamb. Yum! I, also, tried lobster macaroni, which was incredible!! I had free-range fried chicken, and Junior's cheesecake. And at the end of the week, I had a hard time bidding my birthday farewell and having to go back to my cooking.