This week I turned 38.
This year has been a strange one and I thought it a good opportunity to reflect upon birthdays past. Those of you who know me well will know that I keep a diary - I have done since Saturday the 15th of April 1995 to be precise.
Instead of writing my normal blog I thought I’d take you on a trip down my memory lane and tell you what I did for every birthday since I was 13! It’s funny how I remember my birthdays versus what I actually wrote about them on the day! Enjoy..
1995 13th birthday: Got a giant soft toy whale and a dolphin ring. Had a dress up ‘hippee’ party. Note: The next morning we woke up and made up a dance.
1996 14th birthday: Just moved house and got an eyelash tint voucher which I was pretty stoked about.
1997 15th birthday: I got a CD rack and the ‘Spawn’ CD. Me and two high school friends had our first joint party together. The party was “REALLY COOL”, we got ‘pissed’ and there was a crying session in a nearby school.
1998 16th birthday: Got some cargo pants and a pocket knife. Caught the train into Wellington and watched Toy Soldiers at the movies. Another joint party where we danced and sang our brains out. “I lost my voice, Primo night!”
1999 17th birthday: Got a Walkman. Diary entry is illegible so the party was good. All I can make out is that it “rocked’ and I think I made out with Micheal maybe?
2000 18th birthday: Dressed as a Rastafarian Mechanic for our joint party. ‘Primo Night” and did the half yard in 40 seconds…
2001 19th Birthday: Got the Jeff Buckley CD and went to Te Papa for Brunch. ‘Got on the piss’
2002 20th Birthday: Went to the Parrot and Jigger with family and friends. Got tickets to Shihads ‘Pacifier’ tour.
2003 21st birthday: Huge party 21st party at the Vic Uni pub in Wellington. All of my extended family came up from the South Island and they made up a song for me. There were speeches (Dad’s was particularly memorable) then the night got wild shortly after that.
2004 22nd birthday: Got a Radiohead video and David Lee Roth video. It was my day off but I had to go into work for a morning tea they’d put on for me.
2005 23rd birthday: First birthday in Australia. Had continental breakfast at Mum and Dads hotel for their first visit to Melbourne. First trip ever trip to IKEA. Pub for dinner.
2006 24th birthday: Went to a German restaurant where I had to ring a bell because it was my birthday! Did a pretty epic pub crawl of Melbourne that ended at the Public Bar in North Melbourne.
2007 25th birthday: Mum and Dad were over from NZ. We had a fancy dress pretty at HardRock Cafe. Massive night that ended at 10.30 the next day.
2008 26th birthday: The restaurant tram with my sister who was visiting. We had a week long birthday celebrations coined Jesstavist. This included a French themed night at the pub.
2009 27th birthday: Dinner with girlfriends with an Ice cream cake and played pool all night.
2010 28th birthday: Matt drove me to Sorrento for steak sandwiches on the day followed by an impressive size party at the Townie where everyone chipped in and got me a pool cue. Probably the coolest I ever was or will be!
2011 29th birthday: Matt and I took a table we were building to get powder coated. Mum and Dad came over from NZ. We went out for dinner with friends and to the pub for some pool.
2012 30th birthday: Family came over from NZ for a big party at the pub! I got Hot Air Balloon tickets! Party ended up at our place.
2013 31st birthday: Walked to the top of Mount Cairngorm in Scotland then drove to Edinburgh and went out to old town for beers and a curry.
2014 32nd birthday: “Pros: Married and own several businesses. Cons: braces and $4 in my account” Highlight was a bike ride around Cherry Lake.
2015 33rd birthday: Mum and Dad come over from NZ. We had a lovely lunch at SuperNormal. Banana birthday cake for dinner.
2016 34th birthday: “Worst birthday so far, Frank was up at 5am and didn’t go back down, we need 10K for a deposit and I had cold cutlets for dinner.”
2017 35th birthday: French toast for breakfast, a trip to Bunnings and unpacking boxes from moving house. We had a four month old and a 2 and a half year old.
2018 36th birthday: Went down to Apollo Bay with friends, went to the RedWood Forest and played Settlers of Catan.
2019 37th birthday: Big party at home. Lots of people and lots of booze!
2020 38th birthday: Managed a few socially distanced glass of bubbles with friends.
While the parties aren’t big this year I think the appreciation and love for everybody I care for is bigger than ever! I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you - whether you sang to me on my 21st, made it to Jesstivus or this blog is the first you’ve met me, you are now part of my story and I’m all the more richer for it! X
