Olympic Bat Mitzvah

Guess what today is!

If you said it's the one year anniversary of the opening of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, you would be correct. However, it's also the 11th anniversary of my Bat Mitzvah.

For those that may not know much about Judaism, kids have their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs when they turn 13 to symbolize their entrance into adulthood. (So the anniversary of my Bat Mitzvah is almost old enough to have a Bat Mitzvah. How terrifying is that? I'm old. Let's not talk about it.) I got up in front of my temple's congregation and my entire family and all of my friends to read (i.e. sing) from the Torah. And then everyone threw candy at me, and suddenly I was technically a grown-up. Looking back, 13 is an absurdly early age to consider someone an "adult," but nonetheless.

But everyone knows that the most important part of a Bat Mitzvah is the party. Every kid (or, uh, adult?) picks a theme for his or her party, and mine was the Olympics. I mean, obviously. Were you expecting else of me? So today I thought we'd take a stroll down memory lane and revisit this Olympic-themed shindig... and cringe at what I looked like in middle school. (Though I'm very thankful for whoever did my makeup that day. A few days prior, I'd developed a stye on one of my lower eyelids and in pictures it looked like I'd been punched in the face. But on the day of my Bat Mitzvah, you couldn't even tell!)

My favors were these string backpacks, featuring each Games since I was born, leading up to Darci 2004 (for obvious reasons). This led to several years of jokes that my name is an Olympic city. I didn't hate it. 

Each table was a different country (and the kids' area was the Olympic village). And why just give out cards for seating arrangements when you can wrap it around a Hershey bar? Exactly. We did things right. 

How 'bout those centerpieces? Completely homemade by my awesome (and thrifty) parents. 

Did I mention that my party was on a boat? Because my part was on a boat. 

More homemade decorations. :) 

How pretty is this?! I still have a bunch of these flags, actually. 

I spy an American flag bandana. 

Why is my caricature holding the flag upside down? Riddle me that!

My dad was in charge of deciding what to write on the cake. #flawless

Now... you didn't think I'd end this post without some hilarious and/or embarrassing pictures, did you? 

Just clutching an American flag, as you do. 

Stylin' and profilin'. 

These centerpieces were the best idea ever. 

 Honestly.

We had the whole world in our hands! (Hah.)

Why did nobody tell me how awkward I was?!?! OH MY GOSH. But hey, notice that sweatshirt?

Eleven years later, I'm still awkward and still wearing the same sweatshirt.

I also still have the Olympic flag I got for the occasion!

It's crazy to look back and think about how much things have changed since 2004. I mean, now I actually am an adult, by all religious and legal definitions. But I still love the Olympics to the same degree, and have my own cubicle inside United States Olympic Committee headquarters. So if anyone ever tells you you're too obsessed with something, don't listen to them. A little obsession is a good thing. ;)