One of the downsides to having a January birthday, and specifically having a January birthday while living in the Northeast- is that it’s pretty much a certainty that your special day is going to be bitterly cold and/or filled with snow. I cannot recall a birthday in recent memory where I wasn’t bundled up in a significant amount of layers or having to come up with precautionary backup plans should any celebratory dinners, parties, or get-togethers need to be postponed in case of a Nor’easter.
And no one is more familiar with that feeling (other than myself, of course,) than my childhood friend, Sean- who celebrated his birthday this past weekend just as Massachusetts was getting it’s first big and significant snowstorm of the 2024 Winter season. The plan was simple- a bunch of us were going to congregate at Sean’s apartment for pizza, cake, some video games and a gift exchange- before the storm was scheduled to hit the Boston area late on Saturday evening.
But as unpredictable as the weather can be and often is, the flakes starting falling- rapidly – and accumulating literally right after everyone had arrived at Sean’s in the afternoon. Thankfully, I had restocked my overnight bag with some supplies, essentials, and enough clothes to last for a couple of days- and a few of us that didn’t live within walking distance opted to stay through the weekend to keep the party going while the storm slowly passed and the roads were eventually cleared.
And what a storm it was! In-between gaming sessions, naps, working remotely (specifically on Monday) and eating the unbelievable meals our friend Paulo cooked for us throughout the extended weekend- we would occasionally watch the snow from the apartment windows. Sean lives near a park and a cemetery, which made it a really pretty, peaceful and serene scene at various intervals.
And although we couldn’t go out and do much because of the storm, Sean was adamant he really enjoyed his birthday regardless, and I bid him farewell before heading home on Monday night so that I could return to work as normal in my office for the remainder of this week- but what a cozy weekend it was!
And now to plan my (also more than likely to be snowy) birthday festivities- since it’s only a couple of weeks away!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 