Editor’s Note:
There has been a lot of upheaval in recent months, from schools closing to event cancellations and more. What makes it so difficult adjusting to our new normal is how even the smallest of daily activities and personal events are being interrupted and adjusted through this new lens.
Birthdays, like so many other events, are not immune to the changes imposed by social distancing best practices. A birthday celebration is typically a special occasion, a day full of visits and well-wishes from friends and family. Although celebrations like this may look outwardly different, the core elements are the same. What’s more, people all over the world are finding creative ways to stay connected while sharing their special day with loved ones. We asked some of our birthday ‘Keeters to tell us how they kept their heads up and made the most of this unique situation. Read their thoughts below!
Q1: What were your birthday plans – did they change?
Anna Dussing, Sr. Digital Outreach Specialist:
“My birthday was right at the beginning of the shutdown, so I guess you could say I was kind of lucky because I was still able to celebrate a somewhat normal birthday. I also was lucky enough to be born on St. Patrick’s Day, so there’s always something going on, but this year was a little different.
Even though my birthday was more low key than I’m normally used to, I actually enjoyed it. On the day of my actual birthday, it was nice to be able to ease into my workday instead of spending that time rushing into traffic. I spent the day doing things I wanted to do after my workday was over.
Since my birthday is on a big drinking holiday, I usually go to get a few drinks at local bars to celebrate. But I’m glad that this year I spent it …enjoying more indoor activities like painting and listening to audiobooks.
I also took this time to prioritize some of the things I wanted to do for myself. I’ve been wanting new plants, and for my birthday I took the time to purchase new bigger plants. Along with that I’ve been looking into getting a cat for months now and due to having more free time on my hands, I was able to prioritize that.”
Brittney Lee, Sr. Account Manager:
“First of all, I was overwhelmed with love and all the deliveries I received from family and friends (including amazing fellow ‘Keeters). Katie Perkins sent me some of my favorite wines and Erin Gafner sent me a box full of amazing snacks!
Also, I’m a huge foodie and loved trying out all the top Philly restaurants. One that I’ve been dying to try, Vernick, was doing a [takeout] tasting menu so I was able to enjoy some amazing food to pair with a bubbly! I also had a huge video call with my family and friends. It was amazing to be able to connect with my friends from all over at one time!”
Kayla Mackie, Account Manager:
“Every year I try to travel somewhere new for my birthday. I didn’t plan anything this year because of how quickly the virus [spread]. Instead, I celebrated by taking the day off from work. I watched a favorite movie of mine and did one of my favorite workouts. My boyfriend got some extra brownie points too as he made sure I had every meal, snack, and cocktail I desired all day long. My best friend organized a surprise socially distant drive-by with some of my closest friends which was the cherry on top of the day. The day felt different for sure, but I’ll never forget the memories of the birthday I celebrated while in quarantine.”
Lexi Grafe, SEO Analyst:
“My birthday plans did unfortunately change. I was planning on having my friends join me for a big beer and doughnut tasting party where we were going to try different types of beer paired with different types of doughnuts. Unfortunately, when the pandemic hit, all of the breweries closed and everyone was quarantined.
However, I was still able to have a smaller version of that with my boyfriend and two close friends that I was quarantining with. They surprised me with a dozen different types of beer and doughnuts and we still had a great time. It was a good birthday, just on a much smaller scale than I initially planned.”
Q2: How have you managed to stay connected to family and friends during this time?
Anna Dussing Sr. Digital Outreach Specialist:
I’ve managed to stay connected to my family through facetime and calls on a regular basis.”
Brittney Lee Sr. Account Manager:
“Lots and lots of video calls. Since moving to Philly at the end of last summer, I’ve been able to see a lot of my friends and family from NY by either having them come visit or [by] heading upstate/home. Even though it has been tough not seeing everyone in person I feel like I’m [connected]to them [more than ever] and we talk/check-in with each other on a daily basis. Shoutout to Zoom!”
Kayla Mackie Account Manager:
“I was talking to a friend the other day, via Zoom of course, and I was saying that I have been keeping in touch with my long-distance friends more than I’ve ever had and it’s awesome. Zoom and FaceTime are my go-tos to stay in touch these days. During the weekend where the U.S. Open was supposed to happen some of my friends organized a virtual U.S. Open. There were a ton of fun challenges we had to do and we even kept score as if we were playing golf. Spoiler alert: my team won!”
Lexi Grafe SEO Analyst:
“Due to the stay at home orders, I’ve had more friends go above and beyond to celebrate my birthday with me, even if they couldn’t be there in person. That included numerous calls, video chats, hand-written letters, texts, and lots of surprise deliveries at my door.
This has trickled over into daily life, where I’m more aware of the necessity of reaching out and intentionally staying in touch with family and friends, rather than the ease before quarantine of knowing you’ll see them at some point. Virtual happy hours are my new normal!”
Hero image provided by Brittney Lee, Sr. Account Manager.