Happy birthday to me! One of my favorite restaurants in Roppongi is Gonpachi Nishiazabu. The festive environment is perfect for a 30th birthday celebration. Everyone knows this restaurant for one reason, but what I love most is the staggered layout that forces you to get infectiously happy by other groups’ celebrations as well.

On this particular evening, they helped me usher in my new decade by blasting Tomoyasu Hotei’s “Battle Without Honor or Humanity,” which instantly gives you all the feels. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know something will. And it did! Their team brought me the traditional birthday treat, and everyone sang. It was the best way anyone can receive a restaurant birthday experience.

The last note I have is that I feel really good about turning 30. I’m in a really good place in my life. Not quite where I want to be yet, but that’s the whole fun of it.