I had an amazing 23rd birthday. First, it was the night of cake and dinner at home (plus Harry Potter movies) with Tom and Scott. Then it was a dinner out to Clay Pit in downtown Austin, and a party at the house. On Saturday, I celebrated my birthday with my parents at a nice dinner downtown.

I am so grateful for the people in my life, and this world I’ve built.

There were a couple years when I didn’t have friends in Austin, for the most part, living at home and attending community college. Putting yourself out there can be really scary, and I was certainly nervous while expecting people over. I have learned not to take changes in plans personally, and to find people who are similar to me. Meeting people can be easy, but transitioning that into friendships is the hard part. My best advice is throw a party, make strong sangria, and invite your chattiest friends to carry the room when you get nervous (Thanks Chris and Rose!)!