As you can see above, it was a pretty sunny day (okay, well, I kinda digitally-enhanced that photo to look even sunnier... but it really was sunny then!) on my birthday, 17 February. All weather reports had predicted thunderstorms and I was so scared that it will happen because weather reports here in Australia are usually pretty accurate yet Australian weather can also be unpredictable too. So it was really hard to tell what the next day's weather will be. Anyway, my mum and I booked a shaded spot for my birthday picnic so we weren't too worried about it, which was great!
Everything that we planned went down to planned for my birthday picnic.
Everyone ate food, my sister April took photographs, we had games like Taboo and Pictionary, I showed them my so-called magic trick, The Number Game, I did a little raffle for the guests (congrats to Rebecca, Carmel and Haein for winning the three prizes!) Then after that, some guests like Bryson, Bryon and Buster came in really late that I felt bad just making them leave at 6pm so I invited them, plus Mark and Christian over to my house to play some karaoke!!! Bryon hogged the microphone... (but it was funny because the others kept cancelling the song on him, which was kinda sad but funny that Bryon got so pissed off that he called his mum to pick them up)
The next day was another birthday celebration of mine but within our family friends. I'll admit, I'm not really tight with them, as in the people my age, so it wasn't as fun for me, but I wouldn't say it was even horrible either. Looking back on both events, you can assume I was content with the celebration of my 18th birthday (and no, we didn't need alcohol to have fun at all, as I've already said in this post hahaha!)
Anyway, I finally got around to looking at some of the gifts people gave/made me. Here are some of the highlights! I didn't attach the gift givers' names to prevent accusations of favouritism :P
All my gifts up here!
Here's some of the money I got from people who weren't bothered enough to get me a real gift. LOL jk!
Yummo! Got Ben & Jerry's ice cream! It had nuts in it, and while I'm not a fan of nuts, this one's actually not that bad! Sooooo yummy! Thank goodness they're available in Blacktown now!
I thin this person is actually one of those who gave me the most gifts! I mean, I got a book stopper! I have books at home but they're all falling over, so I've been thinking of buying a book stopper anyway. But yay, I got one for my birthday, so no need!
I call this one my 'fashion gift'!
In terms of size, this was the biggest and heaviest gift I got. I've seriously never had a scrapbook set before until now!
I got this cute little yellow duck container with some yellow bath essentials and Twix chocolate bars. I love Twix! Plus, a postcard as a birthday card too.
If you're a Typo fan, you'd know this is from around there. I never thought I'd see my name in those wooden block letters ever!
I actually have a desk calendar already at home, but I find it too small so I kinda wanted to buy a bigger one yet I wasn't bothered since I already had a calendar. Just my luck that someone got me a bigger calendar... again, from Typo!
Two people coincidentally got me two things from the same set in Typo; an apron and a tea towel that both say 'Keep Calm and Eat Cake'. This was purely by coincidence, I tell you, that when the person who gave me the tea towel saw what the other gave me, he freaked out and thought they'd gotten me the same thing!
Here comes the birthday cards and letters highlights! Pretty cursive handwriting literally filling every corner of the card, huge blocks of paragraphs... only one can guess who this may be... *cough* Jo *cough*
I love the creativity this person put into the birthday letter! He even drew little pictures and everything, and every word was well thought-out. Plus, the stationery was cute too.
This has got to be the coolest birthday letter I got, favouritisms aside. Seriously. This person wrote my 100 reasons why we're friends. And each reason are true, unique and original. Soooo gonna copy this idea for the next occasion hahaha!
I remember going to a parenting class last year and it was there that I discovered that my 'love language' was encouraging words. Needless to say, I tend to appreciate sincere, truthful words from people rather than actions or material gifts (although, they're great too, don't get me wrong). I believe that while actions speak louder than words, I honestly think that words too are good enough as long as they're to the point, sincere and honest. I'm not too fancy when it comes to people having to show their appreciation; I think words will do just fine. Plus, it costs nothing to tell the truth!
Speaking of words, here is my birthday board, all complete with everyone filled in every corner!
A neatly-wrapped rectangular gift wrapped in flowery paper. It would've blended it well with the other presents. Looks like your quintessential birthday present. So, why did I take a photo of it anyway? Well, according to my sister, she reckons that this gift had been wrapped my the gift giver's mother because it was wrapped so neatly that she also thinks that it was the mum who even went shopping for the gift! Thus, this explains her curiosity on what the gift really is. Well, it was the very first gift I opened because April kept bugging me to open it! It was a nice gift though, I will have to say...
Because turning 18 officially marks one's adulthood (legally, anyway), I guess that's when you begin to get utilitarian aka. boring gifts from people. I got a towel! But hey, at least the gift giver apologised for giving me a bloody towel HAHAHAHA!!
Speaking of gifts, I actually honestly didn't expect anything from anyone because I was so busy organising the picnic! I was so focused on wanting everyone to come (of course, not everyone came but a lot of people did come and it was fun overall) and spending this birthday with the people I love that I forgot that people give gifts to people on their birthday. As some people will already know, we're not exactly having the easiest time at home right now, and I wasn't even gonna have a birthday celebration due to financial reasons, but my mum urged me so I did anyway. So, if anyone who came on Friday (or even if you didn't, that's okay), I'd really just like to shout out a huge THANK YOU for making the day worthwhile because I had fun that day, I got to spend it with the swellest people out and I hope that those who came had fun too!
So, I'm officially 18 now! I don't know what other people feel about turning 18, but seeing as how so many people make a big deal about it, it's like they see 18 as being this complete coming-of-age maturity thing. But to be honest, I do feel a little older than I used to be, not because I just turned 18, but it occurred a while ago when I graduated school, when I got my HSC results and finally enrolled into university. That was really more of the moment when I realised that adulthood is beginning to go on full speed ahead.
I also feel like when you turn 18, you're suddenly supposed to find out who you really are as an adult. Maybe not find out who you are completely, but actually begin to find out and have at least a good insight of who you may be in your adult life. Frankly, I'm just not up to that bit yet. I don't know if this sounds bad to some or not, but honestly, I don't even really know who I am at the moment. I have some insight from past experiences, but I guess because of my emerging adulthood, I need to grow more as a person by experiencing things in the future. I'm taking my time to discover those through upcoming experiences over time, and I don't believe there's anything wrong with that. In my adolescent years, I thought I knew who I was, but I forgot to realise that as people, we're also always changing because of the stuff we go through over time. So I'm really not gonna bother putting up identity labels on myself. Plus, when you have a certain perspective of yourself and other people think otherwise, it kinda makes you care more about what other people think of you and to an extent, I think that's a bit unnecessary too.
I admit, I do feel a little lost and maybe those reading this can say I'm having an identity crisis right now, but I'd rather keep calm about it (and eat cake hahaha!). I don't really know how to be an adult, or begin to be one. But I'm pining on the thought that I will be guided to make good decisions for myself and for the people I love today and in the future. I may not know who I am to be as a fully-functioning mature individual as of yet, but I know some things for sure right now: just do what's right, regardless of age.
I actually got this really good quote from someone who attended my birthday picnic and gave me a card. It was indeed very thought-inducing...
Alden NowlanThe day a child realises that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.
Peace out! :)
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