Preppy Runner – Theodora Blanchfield

Hi! It’s my birthday!!

I’m 4 again. (Maybe just in maturity…)

Just kidding. I’m 29, a number I thought would terrify me, but I’m okay with it. Which is good because I don’t have a choice. In all seriousness, I’m just happy to be in a good place. When I turned 25 four years ago yesterday, I was in the throes of a quarterlife crisis and absolutely miserable with where I was in life. I was single, overweight, unhappy with my career and just kind of over D.C. I went out that night and ended up crying myself to sleep when I got home, but it was the catalyst to start changing my life. I ended up moving out of D.C. about two months later. So while I’m still single, and sure, would rather not be, I’m really happy with where I am in life right now and the life that I’ve made for myself.

I started the celebrating the other night by going home and going out to dinner with my parents at my favorite restaurant in NJ, Portobello.

It’s also where I had my Sweet 16…13 years ago. Whoa.

I ordered one of the specials–blackened scallops with pesto linguine and some random vegetables. Sort of random, but it worked.

Last night, I met some friends at Ayza, a wine and chocolate bar in the West Village, for Selena’s bachelorette.

Yes, WINE. AND. CHOCOLATE.

We started with some prosecco for the table.

And then were all really annoying and redeemed a Foursquare special for a free glass of wine.

And then I moved on to a sparkling wine flight.

They brought out the dipping food with sparklers for Selena!

Afterwards, we got late-night pizza (err, at like 11pm) and headed to another bar for some more beer. I got home around 1 and miraculously pulled myself out of bed for a birthday long run with Ashley and Bo, which was an amazing way to start off my birthday.

We met at Columbus Circle and ran a full lap of the park.

You can’t see it here, but it was snowing!

Look who we ran into! (Yes, I am wearing a pin that says “another year sexier.” Apparently Ashley and Bo circulate it for people’s birthdays, and Bo passed it on to me this morning.)

We left the park and ran on the West Side Highway. I ran as far as 42nd and then peeled off for the giant birthday bagel I’ve been thinking of all week.

It was all I could hope for and more.

I’m off to do absolutely nothing until I go out for dinner and drinks tonight. (2011 birthday; 2010 birthday)

Thanks to all of you for the sweet birthday messages you’ve left!!!