Celebrations and Libations

I am approaching the birthday which I've been preparing for for the last 7 years. I will soon be 21 years old, and as it approaches, I find myself trying to scramble the last of my "childhood" into a month and some change. key to this - some change. the absolution of "21" looms, terrifying and absolute. After this, my youth will be deemed "fleeting" and the reckless abandon with which I choose to live will become, well... just plain reckless.

In my scramble to make the most of the last, I asked my cousin to weigh in. She offered "21 bars, just like everyone else." I thought about it - hell, I even entertained it. But after a brief flashback of my freshman year, I recoiled. What else? What's new? What hasn't been done before? The conversation continued, the idea mutated.

We met halfway, and "21 Days, 21 Ways" was born. Basically, my grand plan is to take my indecision and turn it into an experience. I want to live, breathe and laugh through all of the things that I haven't yet had the time or money to experience. This well may be my last summer in New York, and there are a few things that I still have yet to see. So, for the 21 days preceding my birthday (beginning on August 5th), I will celebrate me. My growth, my spirit and the people I love, in my last soiree with summertime in New York. I have experienced revolution in this city, and this is my thank you.

Where you come in: help me finish my patchwork. I have ideas, I have moments, I have a tentative schedule. But, there is so much to see and understand, and I want to be awakened. In every corner and side street of this chaos, there is a story. Help me weave mine into the tapestry of this city, either by adding a must-see moment or giving me an honest review on one I've decided to capture.

My tentative schedule, as it stands, is as follows:

Friday August 10th - My Wilde arrives! [My best friend from high school arrives from Norway]

Saturday August 11^th – Sky High at the Brooklyn Terrace  (Free)

Sunday August 12^th – Brunch at Madiba to celebrate Wilde!

Wednesday August 15^th - Porgy and Bess on Broadway

Thursday August 16^th – Bowl Train @ Brooklyn Bowl (DJ QuestLove) ($5)

Saturday August 18^th – Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Williamsburg Concert Series (Free)

Sunday August 19^th – Jazz Brunch at Smoke Supper Club / Candlelit Yoga at Yoga to the People  (Free)

August 20^th- 23^rd: Shakespeare in the Park (depending on when I can get tickets) [Free]

Thursday August 23^rd - Red Hook Summer (hopefully at BAM)

Saturday August 25^th – Afropunk Festival @ Commodore John Barry Park [Free] / The Rub @ The Bell House [$10] 

The most important input I look to you for, friends, is you! I want my friends to share this journey with me - the best memories I've made have been those in the company of friends. I'm not inclined towards gifts, I'd rather have birthday presence. So pick a day, or a few, and join me. Let's enjoy the dog days of summer and celebrate the light.