My Annual Solo Birthday Date

Hey, hey!

Tonight I’m catching the redeye to the east coast! I’m looking forward to time with my family. I haven’t been home since the holidays, which is quite awhile for me.

Can you tell that I’m excited? This ridiculous photo was taken a few months ago and is too funny not to share.

Earlier this week, I continued a tradition that I started years ago of dedicating a day around my birthday just to treating myself to things that I love. It’s what I call my “me” day to decompress and take myself on a solo date.

I think that for a lot of people, life just seems too hectic to feel like there’s time to practice self-love as much as we should – or worse, maybe we don’t feel deserving of it. I think it’s really important to take time here and there to slow down, appreciate life, and to kind of recognize that I’m doing a pretty decent job at this thing called life and celebrate it.

So, my birthday is a perfectly good reason to do have a “me” date! It’s something I look forward to around my birthday. I established this annual tradition with myself also as a reminder that my happiness isn’t dependent on what others do for me, but also how I treat myself. I have the power to create happiness within. This year, I’m fortunate in that I’ll be spending my 29th birthday with both my husband and my entire family, which is really nice, but there have been birthdays where my husband is deployed and I’m 2,500 miles away from my family.

I rang in my last year of my 20s – well, not technically, as my birthday is tomorrow, but in my mind it was kind of the start of my birthday! – by first taking my pup for a long early morning walk. Our daily walks together are something small that I often appreciate, and I love getting in exercise with my crazy pup.

Next up, I stopped at one of my favorite spots in Carlsbad for an acai bowl. I headed to the beach to enjoy it as I watched the waves and the early risers getting their workouts in.

After I was done with my delicious & healthy breakfast, I practiced yoga on the beach. I broke a sweat flowing through the asanas, meditated for a few, and took a couple moments to acknowledge the many blessings in my life – including living by the beach in SoCal where such a magical, relaxing place is just a few minutes of a drive away.

Took a few extra minutes to get lost in the clouds 

Next on my “me” date was a much needed pedicure. With all of the working out that I do, I always am in need of the exfoliating treatment to smooth out all of the rough spots. Getting my toes all prettied up always feels like a treat! I went to my favorite spa in the area that is a drive, but totally worth it for the awesome job they do.

Near the nail salon is a pizza place known for its vegan, gluten free, and healthier options called zpizza. I decide to order take-out from there for dinner. I normally cook dinner 6-7 nights a week, and it was the rare occasion of ordering take-out. A veggie calzone + margherita pizza on whole wheat dough were my picks!

After picking up dinner, I headed to the mall to pick out a few new summery things. I wound up leaving with 2 new dresses, a new shirt, and very shiny wedding rings since I popped into the jeweler to get them cleaned.

Next up was a very sweet treat: almond milk ice cream from Sub Zero. So good! This spot is hands down my favorite ice cream shop in the area. A pre-dinner ice cream pretty much never happens…. but today, I don’t hesitate to go for it.

Last up in my solo birthday celebration was a massage. I used a LivingSocial deal that wound up being a bit of a shiesty place, and I realized that this is not the first time that I’ve used a deal at a place that would not be described as a 5-star spa. I make a mental note to go for it and pay double the price for a luxury spa experience next year… However, the masseuse did work out some knots that were really tightening my body up, and I left feeling like although it was a bit of a weird experience, it wasn’t all that bad.

All in all, at the end of the day I felt like I treated myself to a great birthday date. 28 was a great year for me, and while I wouldn’t mind staying this age forever, I’m excited to see what 29 will bring!

What’s the main takeaway that I hope that you’re reminded of from reading this post? You are worthy of treating yourself. You are deserving of doing that special thing that you love but never do for yourself. It’s not selfish to take time alone. The most important relationship you’ll ever have in life is the one you have with yourself, so take time to nurture it here and there.