Hello! It’s been quite the long time since my last blog post. I highly apologize for that. I, like many others across the world, have finally started to adjust to this new normal of social distancing and online schooling.

I turned 22 this past weekend. I know a lot of people are unfortunately having their birthdays during this sort of tumultuous yet static time in life, but I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how unexpectedly special it was to spend my birthday during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Now, a lot of people reading this blog know me. And they know that I’m a worrier, especially when I host things. 

When thinking about how to properly celebrate my birthday, I honestly was very close to not celebrating at all. 

I just thought, Alex, who in their right mind would log onto Zoom when there are so many other things to do? Wouldn’t it be super awkward if you have people who all know you but don’t know each other? Would you be delivering a lecture?

All those thoughts just floated around my head for days. 

Luckily, my lovely friend Haley France designed a Facebook cover photo for my party. And I thought, well, I can’t not host a party now. I mean, if it went well, it’d be a fun story to tell my kids! If all didn’t go well, it’d still be a story!

So I did it. Last Friday, I threw a Zoom party with all my friends! 

And it was so perfectly imperfect. And it will forever be one of my most memorable birthdays.

Even though you didn’t ask for it,

Here are steps on how to throw your own Zoom birthday party:

1. Make a Facebook event and post all the details!

2. Invite friends from ALL parts of your life - this is basically grounds for the most EPIC birthday party ever because friends from all realms of your life can join

3. Take a moment to breathe. And realize that you don’t have to make everything perfect. The point of this call is to celebrate you.

4. Start the call - Don’t get anxious about whether or not people will join or who will join first. Just be there and greet your friendos.

5. Make your friends sing you happy birthday. And see how amazingly out of sync everyone is.

6. Make everyone play a Kahoot game about you. And if you’re of age, make it a drinking game.

7. If your participants are willing and able, randomly put them in breakout rooms, and make your friends get to know each other - this was quite literally the best part of my night - just seeing all my friends getting to know each other. An ENFP’s DREAM.

8. Lastly, take a moment to just appreciate the people who took the time out of their quarantined lives to join your Zoom chat with a bunch of people they didn’t know in order to band together for one purpose: to celebrate you.

I know this blog was super cheesy and not really a part of my usual Korean American experience theme, but I strive to make content that is relatable. And I thought it was super important, especially right now, to make a post celebrating life and friends.

So please everyone, hold your family close, keep your friends six feet away. And stay sane!