Moodbooard Monday: 30th Birthday - Cancelled
Today will be the start of a new series on the blog called Moodboard Mondays. It’s a day of pictures, inspiration and storytelling when it applies. I’ve always appreciated visual storytelling and artistic interpretations so this is my attempt at providing that for others.
The series starts off with a small story of how my 30th birthday, which is tomorrow, has been cancelled. Not the day itself… Unless 2020 has a gigantic meteor in the works for us within the next 18 hours, which I don’t see as impossible at this point... But for now, the day is expected to come as usual. My birthday celebration, how I wanted to celebrate it, was cancelled before it even took flight.
Back in February, before the days of Covid 19 in the US, Love prompted me to decide on what I wanted to do for my 30th birthday so he would have enough time to plan it out and execute it. I narrowed down my ideas to a Karaoke night, a large summer baseball game with our families or a Manifestation dinner.
I was settling on the manifestation dinner where I intended for everyone to show up at a very large and awing home located in the hills for an enchanting view of the Los Angeles landscape with all of its lights glowing after the sun goes down. The idea was to have an experience full of positive energy that would manifest a dope AF home we could later hold our families comfortably in and would serve as an inspiring escape. The only hang up in the plan was I didn’t want to play hostess. I didn’t want to be responsible for making sure everyone else was happy or taken care of because that would’ve tainted my own experience at my own birthday party. Love reminded me that that was who I was; someone who puts the needs of others before her own and that I wouldn’t have a good time if that’s what I ended up choosing. So he suggested traveling somewhere, just him and I, like we did for my 25th to San Francisco.
So, with that, the manifestation dinner idea was shut down and I thought about where I’ve been wanting to travel to, that wouldn’t put a strain on finances. I decided I wanted to go to New York. Unfortunately, before I got the chance to update Love with the new plans, the stay at home order went into effect and I’ve been home ever since.
Since my birthday is tomorrow, I wanted to capture some of the things we might have done had we been able to go.
1 - Airplane - We of course would have arrived by plane because duh. Love and I both aren’t fans of flying but it would have been our first time flying in a plane together. I’m sure I would’ve slept most of the way or spent the time writing out an instagram caption or two.
2 - Hotel - Our hotel would have the dopest view of the city. I would want to see all the lights of every building that I possibly could while I’m there. There’s something so enchanting but inspiring about seeing a city full of lights and life through the darkness.
3 - View of the City - I just really appreciate the levels of the city. We’re not going on a helicopter or anything, but maybe a ferry to see the cityscape silhouette? That would have been nice to do.
4 - Subway - Because I want to do touristy things but as far as I know, you can’t get too far too easily without the subway. So even if I didn’t want to get on it, we would because I assume taxis and ubers are outrageously expensive.
5 - Central Park - Again, because tourists but I really do love a good park. Nature can be so beautiful and therapeutic.
6 - Time Square - Do I really need to say it again? I’m not going to lie, though, large crowds of people make me uncomfortable and I’d probably feel intimidated AF to be out there with everybody living their lives, but I’d have to do it. I’d have to see all the lights and all the big screens in person.
7 - Joe’s Pizza - I don’t know if we would have actually ended up at Joe’s Pizza’s specifically, but we’d definitely go to a pizza place because it’s Love’s favorite food. We’d probably actually go to a few pizzeria’s along with a lot of other food locations to get a taste of the land.
8 - Brownstones - I’ve loved the way brownstones looked since I first came across them on The Cosby Show. The architecture of them are beautiful and artistic yet inviting and homey. I’d definitely make Love site see some brownstones with me, even better if we could contact a realtor and see one on the inside for ourselves.
9. Metropolitan Museum of Art - The real reason I want to travel across the country. For this location, I’d prefer to leave Love to his own devices and we’d connect later in the day but I’m sure he wouldn’t go for that. So, I’d drag him along with me to the museum and we’d head straight for the Met Gala exhibit, “About Time: Fashion and Duration” where I’d geek out on all the historical fashions and their reinterpretations through the decades.
Pre-Covid shut down, this is how I would’ve expected to spend my 30th birthday. Mid-Covid shut down, I’ll be spending it at home with my family, blessed to have my health. Luckily for my feelings, no planning had started so I don’t feel bummed at all or as if something has been ripped away from me. Traveling to New York is still a dream and one day, when America gets itself together and can open up again, I’ll be there.
Where do you hope to visit one day?