Since everything always comes full circle, we finished my 30th birthday celebration watching the dogs run around and play in the water in Lake Tahoe.
Thank you everyone for making my 30 years in this world so memorable and worthwhile!
So lucky my 30th birthday fell on a holiday weekend! I actually had my big party on the actual day, May 25th, which was a Sunday, and the boyfriend made me wait until then to open my presents! He did good: maps so I can pin where I/we’ve been and a trip to the coast filled with fun and food.
We also had a relaxing morning grabbing some coffee at The Hub and taking the dogs to the river downtown with my friend J. who came from the Bay Area for my b-day.
In the afternoon we had a great party filled with wine, whiskey, raw vegan food, chocolate cake, friends, dogs, and gifts!
Yes, you read correctly: raw vegan food. I ordered fake tacos, raw falafels, and mock tuna appetizers, plus chocolate truffles without sugar from The Seed. Everything was delicious, but I’m sure all the guys where confused about the lack of meat on a holiday.
As party favors, I had M&M’s made with a picture of me on one side and “thank you” on the other. C’mon, you know you want your face on chocolate candy too!
M&M’s Party Favors
The second day of celebrations actually had four parts. First I met four girlfriends at the Reno Blow Dry Bar. You start with a scalp massage and a glass of champagne or wine. After they wash your hair, they blow dry and style it for you. Although it’s a little expensive, it’s kind of addictive and I went there 3 times in May alone. For my birthday, I also had my eye make-up done. With all the pampering, it’s impossible not to get out of there feeling fabulous.
With my hair and make-up done, it was time for drinks in a nice dress and high heels (suit and tie for the boyfriend). Since I can’t really afford to eat at Lulou’s, we at least had some drinks there. Almost 15 friends showed up for this part of the celebration and they made it really special. Of course the drink of the night had to be a pink one.
Our party moved to Brasserie St. James, one of my favorite places in Reno. A high-end Midtown hangout, it’s a little pricey but still affordable. The boyfriend and I shared the Argentine barbecue, which was super tasty, but could’ve used more meat instead of so many roasted vegetables. We had a large table for 15 and at the end they brought out a brownie with candles.
To finish the night, we had more drinks at Chapel, but we couldn’t keep going for too long since we still had Part 3 of celebrations the next day.
For years I was dreading turning 30. I used to flat out lie about my age: I turned 21 at least 3 times and I was 25 for 4 years in a row. Finally, in the past year I’ve matured enough and realized it is okay to be 30: I am a happy, healthy, and accomplished woman (homeowner, world traveler, marathon finisher… all check!) with lots of close friends and family. That’s a reason to celebrate! And that’s what I did for 4 days during Memorial Day Weekend.
Part 1 of birthday celebration involved going to South Lake Tahoe with the boyfriend and the dogs. When I moved to the area over 10 years ago, it was the beauty of the lake that made me stay. I don’t want to live in Tahoe anymore: too small, too much cold… but I am grateful to live close enough so I can go there anytime I need a pick me up. Just seeing the lake when I’m driving makes me relax and vow to enjoy life as much as possible.
Lake Tahoe
As you all know by now, I love to eat. Usually my go-to place for fine dining in Tahoe is “Edgewood”, but this year why not try something new? The boyfriend took me to “Jimmy’s at the Landing”, a new lakeside restaurant that opened six months ago. The menu is Modern Greek, which means no spanakopita or baklava, but lots of Greek flavors in their wood grilled dishes. We ended up ordering the 5 for $45 appetizer deal, 2 entrees, and a dessert, in addition to 2 drinks and a bottle of wine. Yup, that’s how we do a 30th birthday dinner!
30th Birthday Dinner
The appetizers were brought one at a time, which made me feel I was having a 7 course meal. By the time the entrees arrived, I was so full I didn’t care they were really small (the cauliflower dish was delicious, but tiny). A highlight of dinner was actually the mojito made with ouzo, but everything tasted so good, it brought back memories from my Greece trip 5 years ago with each bite.
During dinner I also had a little surprise for the boyfriend. Since I just ran a marathon and was having a big birthday, I thought it would be fun to do a photo shoot to showcase my healthy looking body. During dinner, I showed the pictures to the boyfriend and he almost fell off the chair. Nice to see I can still cause this reaction at 30!
Run, eat, travel, and more 