Turning 21 is surreal enough at the best of times. I’m now officially an adult- even though everyone insists I’m still young and can get away with doing stupid stuff. Your 21st birthday is your last “big” birthday. There’s not much you can’t do after you’re 21. So, many people go all out on their 21st, throwing huge parties to celebrate their crossover to adulthood. But over the past year and a half, most of us couldn’t do that. I was fortunate enough to celebrate my 21st with my friends, but feel bad for those who were stuck inside for their birthday.
Due to the circumstances, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of my birthday. In saying that, I’ve never made a big deal out of any of my birthdays. I’ve always had a small get together with friends for dinner or a drink or two. But this year was different. A small get together for drinks is a big deal now. This was the first time we all met with each other together since Aberdeen’s second lockdown.
8:40 am. The exact time I was born on 30th July 2000. And, by coincidence, the exact time I woke up 21 years later. First things first, I opened my present from Ryan. Roller-skates! I’ve always wanted roller-skates, and lockdown only reaffirmed my dream of owning a pair. Before the pandemic, I used to skate weekly at the Linx Ice Arena- and I loved it. When I was on the ice, I felt all my worries and stress slip away as I concentrated on staying upright and performing moves correctly. I had bought new (second-hand) ice skates just before Covid came along, so I was a little devastated to hear that I wouldn’t be able to skate weekly anymore. Little did I know, I wasn’t going to ice skate for over a year. So, the idea of being able to skate outside without needing a rink was incredibly appealing to me. When anyone asked what I wanted for my birthday, it was the first and only thing that came to mind. I love my new roller-skates and can be spotted doing laps around Duthie Park on most sunny evenings.
We went out for a chilled breakfast at The Tartan Pig. I had hot chocolate and a smoked salmon and avocado bagel- one of my favourite things on their menu. After breakfast, we had a quick video call with my mum before rushing out to try out my new roller-skates.
After stumbling about on wheels for an hour or two, we returned home to get ready for the night out. As I mentioned in my “Has Lockdown Changed How I dress?” blog post, I’ve been feeling the need to dress up more when going out, even to go shopping. So, as you can imagine, I wanted to get ultra-dressed up for my birthday. After putting on the dress my mum bought me as a small present while thrifting (thanks mum x), I was putting on my earrings when Ryan came in with a “Finally 21” sash and a tiara! I protested, worried about all the looks I’d get walking down Union Street. But Ryan ignored me, insisting I wear them all night. Overall, my outfit (fully pre-loved except jewellery) cost under £20. The shoes were from Barnardo’s for £10 and the dress (originally from Quiz) from British Red Cross for £9.
Then we were off to dinner! Hidden down a cobbled lane just off of Holburn Street is Da Vinci’s, a small Italian restaurant one of Ryan’s coworkers recommended. Not knowing what to expect, we went in and were seated by the glass side doors, looking out onto the cobblestone lanes surrounding the restaurant. The dinner was lovely- Italian food is my favourite, so it was a great choice of restaurant for my birthday. I managed to squeeze in a dessert as well- a Vegan chocolate cake with wild berries. It was delicious!
After dinner, we made our way down Union Street, earning a few strange glances and a slightly sarcastic “happy birthday, princess” because of my blingy get-up. Since we were far too early for our reservation at Revolution for drinks, we nipped into The Wild Boar for 45 minutes where I gifted a free shot of Tequila Rose from the staff. My first ever shot! Even after turning 18, I never wanted to drink. I’ve always thought I’d be better off never finding out what “drunk me” is like. I’ve also never found an alcoholic drink I like the taste of. But since this shot was a gift, I made an exception and tried it… It was actually okay. The aftertaste was a little unpleasant, but I reluctantly agreed to have another one when we met up with everyone.
Then we made our way to Revolution to wait for our friends. I said thank you for their gifts, and we began ordering drinks. I made sure to get mocktails instead of my usual J2Os, feeling fancy. A few pints in, the guys at the table went to the bathrooms (making fun of the fact that women typically go to the bathroom in groups on nights out) and came back with a printed photo booth picture. Naturally, we had to have a go too!
Being together as a group after so long was bizarre. But it was the best birthday present I could’ve asked for. Nights out have completely changed in the last year; We were shattered at midnight- when we moved to the outdoor area. Once upon a pre-Covid time, nights out could easily exceed 2-3 am. Instead, we grabbed a kebab at 12:30 and began plodding home. After a year and a half of staying indoors and not socialising- it’s become a bit exhausting when we do go out. Despite that, I enjoyed every second of it!
Thanks so much for reading x
Thrifty Mango 