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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NYU chapter.

This year has been,very decently put, an unstable roller coaster ride. With the wildfires, pandemic, BLM, elections etc, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Therefore, celebrating little things is important more than ever now. 

I am blessed to have good close friends who sent me some of the best birthday gifts (3 books, 1 mug and an awesome digital art poster made by my friend) I have ever received. And celebrating with family is always super fun as well, but the best thing that happened to me was that for a few hours, I forgot whatever was happening in the world. Nor did I care, as I was celebrating my birthday with people I cared about and having fun! To my utter surprise, I also noticed that you don’t need to go out to have fun, since there are so many ways in which you can have fun staying inside and staying safe. 

One thing I should mention is that as the clock hit 12 AM on 15th November and my birthday started, an air of melancholy surrounded me. I didn’t know how I was supposed to enjoy my day being stuck inside and not being able to meet my friends! I wanted to be in New York partying, or going to my favorite restaurant. I thought, “there was no way this was going to be a good day.” But good things do happen! So, some things that you can do to make your birthday or birthday of someone close to you into a fun and cheerful quarantine tale are: 

  1. Play games online! One of my favorite memories of this birthday is playing Among Us with my cousins over video call. It is a great way to have fun with friends during this quarantine period! 

  2. Me time! I know we all had enough of “me time” during lockdown but if you are working or have classes like me, there are chances you are not, in fact, having any me time at all. So, set aside at least an hour just for yourself! Do whatever makes you happy! Love reading? Finish that book you wanted to read for a long time! Stuck on that one Netflix series? Binge watch it! Want to watch Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time? DO IT! 

  3. Get dressed up! Ever since lockdown, I have been in my pajamas all the time. However, wearing a dress, and applying makeup (even though I wasn’t going out) made me feel special. Same can happen for you as well! Order a dress, a new jacket, or whatever you like to wear and get all dressed up on your birthday to celebrate with family or friends. 

These things might seem very trivial, but we often forget how easy enjoying life is sometimes! Celebrating small things this year is really important to keep yourself happy, as the happiness will leak into the days that come after the occasion. As I said before, I was not happy when my birthday started, but I was on cloud nine when it ended! I hope though, we won’t need more quarantine birthdays but to all those whose birthdays are coming – 

Happy birthday! You are amazing, and hey, don’t forget to make this birthday fun just like any other :) 

Hi! I'm a junior at NYU Stern studying Data Science and Marketing. I love to read and is passionate about astronomy, and cooking! I also write for my anonymous own blog. Want to have a chat? Contact me at pm2982@nyu.edu or reach out to me on Instagram (@_priyal.maheshwari_)!
Senior at NYU studying English and Journalism. Big fan of conspiracy theories, superheroes, and good coffee.