38 Candles.

Written on January 14 @ 12:58a

Happy Birthday to Me!

I’m having a hard time trying to decided what to do for this birthday, but this year feels like a good one. Who the hell knows what will transpire, where I’ll go and the folks I’ll meet but its still feeling a season of fun. And that is something I look forward to. Not making any promises about what type of time I’m going to be on, but I do know, I just want to keep my word to myself. I’m confident that I’ll have fun creating whatever memories will be created.

So Birthday Girl, If you decided to go to London, or possibly Puerto Rico cuz its cold af in Chicago, or just decided to stay in your city, I know ‘ThirtyATE’ will be the best birthday year! Also, don’t forget to open your card. Love you, and Happy Birthday Again!

Tristan Jonez.

Thirty Ate

I know we JUST had a conversation about age, my age specifically, but its so wild to me. When I was younger and would do my calculations correlating the year with my would be age, I don’t even THINK I calculated up to 38. Like What?! Although I did freak out when turning 30, because I felt like I wasn’t where I wanted to be in Life, I hadn’t completed the things I wanted to, my life didn’t look like anything I’d imagine. Now I have the fortitude to be more graceful about my age. What’s funny, my Life doesn’t look ANYTHING like I thought the possibilities would be, its even better. Funnier, I used to live out of a suitcase, bouncing from place to place when I was younger, and in my early twenties, and now I get to do that for a living. Truly it really is wild how the Universe works.

But yeah, I’m just really excited about Thirty Ate. I haven’t even started to plan, but I think its going to be a ‘wing it’ type of birthday, and those are always the best.

Jonez.

Birthday Love

So this year, January 23, I turned 34. I am officially the age my mother was when she had me, also, I was 17 when my mother died, so with this birthday I have lived half my life without my mother, so this was a special birthday, but also an awkwardly weird birthday too. As a way to alleviate the sadness factor, I asked all of my social media platforms, which is made up of folks that I actually (mostly) know in real life to send birthday cards. I received a whopping twenty two cards. I also received gifts! A book, an active journal, a Basquiat bookmark, a deck of self reflection/self help/self care cards and a set of AirPods. Can you believe it?

I damn sure can’t, and I just counted! Its crazy that, so many people love me enough to go out, look for a card, personalize it, add something special to the card, get stamps, take it to the post office or put it in a mailbox. I am that loved, that folks thought of me, to do that for me. Its so surreal that people would reach out to me in such a forgotten form, snail mail. As I get older, I am choosing to focus on the people who care about me, the people who show they care about me, instead of focusing on those who choose to not be present.

Once again, I thank you guys so very much for heeding my birthday call, and showing up so magically!

Tristan J.

Three days

In just three days I’ll be turning thirty three! Honestly this year, I haven’t made an extremely big deal about my birthday like I’ve done in years past. I guess I’m excited, I’m over the shock of being in my thirties but this year, it’s been eh. My plans didn’t really come together until yesterday, and even with what I have planned, I’m not sure that’s really what I want to do. Where I really want to go.

This marks the fifth year I’ll be traveling for my birthday. My ‘new year’s’ have been spent in Barcelona, Milan, Germany, and last year, I pushed myself a created a tour of Italy! I can’t never tell you why I picked the country I did, but usually they pick me!

Tristan J

Safe Travels.