The People You Know Make the Party You Throw

I’ve spent the last few days revelling in the happiness and excitement of celebrating my 25th birthday last week—one of the best birthdays I’ve had to to date.

I realized after my 23rd birthday how much I enjoy hosting parties or events—despite the fact that throwing a big party is not an easy task. Hosting anything in itself always has an element of stress to it. Over the last two years, I’ve hosted my birthday party “Izzypalooza” where I practically invite everyone I know in Toronto to celebrate my birthday with live music from my friends’ bands, a theme to dress up for, and lots of dancing.

In the past, I never considered myself someone who enjoyed hosting parties or going all out for my birthday—especially since I spent so long hating it, and I didn’t have much experience hosting in the first place. After spending so much of my 20s forming new friendships across all areas of my life, I realized my most ideal way to celebrate was bringing practically everyone I love into one room to listen to my friends play music, make new friends, and just have an overall good time. And that’s how “Izzypalooza” was born.

Party planning is not an easy task. In fact, I’ve found the hardest part of it, beyond the standard organizational bit, is managing your own expectations. It’s very easy to get caught up in the mind-racing worries associated with people not showing up, like the brief wave of anxiety or disappointment that comes whenever someone tells you they cant show up a couple days before or the last minute. I think what’s helped make the planning stages and hosting itself so fun for me in the first place was learning to go in with no expectations, accepting what is, and truly grasping that whoever shows up, shows up and whoever doesn’t, doesn’t.

I think for some people, gathering everyone you know in a room and combining friend groups can feel very daunting. I used to hate the idea of doing that, but now seeing my friends form bonds with one another has become one of the highlights of each birthday party I’ve thrown. Which is what leads me to say—the secret to the throwing a great party is already knowing you have a great circle of people.

Me, being nosy, asked what a few friends I had seen post-Izzypalooza thought of the party. What warmed my heart the most was that the general consensus was how lovely my friends all are. Among some of the accomplishments I hold closest to my heart, the relationships I have formed are one of the greatest. In moments where I feel lost or not “like myself”, one of the best reminders and guiding lights that I’m doing something right is the people in my life. It feels gratifying rather than unnerving to know that the crowds I surround myself with are not only amazing in themselves, but a reflection of me as well.

This year’s birthday, my almost non-existent expectations were exceeded in so many ways. Between my friend Sabrina surprising me by making 100 custom matchbooks for the Izzypalooza guests (she knows I collect matchbooks), Olivia making a stunning and DELICIOUS cake, and Leora and Maya getting in a woodshop to make a “shotski” for the party—I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Above all, reuniting with so many people I haven’t seen in a long time and bringing people together is the greatest gift I could not only receive, but give.

Whenever you’re hosting, there’s almost an underlying worry that you never know if you’re ACTUALLY going to have any fun while entertaining so many people. It can feel difficult to be present in every moment. I noticed how light I felt in the entirety of the party, and I felt so surrounded and comforted by the love in the room.

I wanted to wrap up January, and the week since my birthday, by taking the time to acknowledge some of the many ways I feel fortunate. I swear I’m done talking about my birthday now!!!!!!!!

Thank you to not only everyone who attended and helped make Izzypalooza the best night ever, but for all the love I’ve been shown on my special day and beyond hehehe <3