Friday, September 30, 2011

Future Friday #6: Birthday

To countdown the release of The Future of Us (November 21st!), Carolyn Mackler and I will give away one autographed Advance Reader’s Copy every week. Along with the autographed copy (signed by both of us), we’ll toss in another goodie that's book-related.


For our sixth giveaway, the bonus item is Tuck Everlasting. Not only is Ms. Babbitt's novel one of our favorites, it even gets mentioned within our own novel.

We'll randomly select one person who comments on this Future Friday post to receive both prizes. There’s no need to leave your email address, but do check back on Saturday to see if you’ve won.

This week, because today is my 36th birthday (Oh, thank you!), we want to know which birthday you'd like to re-experience or pre-experience (yes, pre-experience). If you had a memorable birthday in the past and want another go at it, let us know how old you were and why you want go back. If you're curious about a birthday in the future, let us know how old you'll be and what you hope to learn.

Here are our answers:

CAROLYN: I would time-travel back to my 16th birthday. And not because it was perfect. No, it was anything but. On my 16th birthday, I was in the Bahamas with my dear friend and her mom. Her family had a time-share condo that we were staying in for the week. The night before my birthday, we went out to dinner and I ate something completely non-memorable. But when I woke up in the morning - the morning I turned 16 - I was puking. I puked and puked and puked for my entire 16th birthday. When I wasn't puking I was laying in a dark room with a cool washcloth on my head. At some point, my friend's mom brought out a chocolate cake and maybe put candles in it, but I couldn't even look at it. And that was that. I went to bed for the night. Basically I want to go back to the night before my 16th birthday and not eat that meal and not get food poisoning and then have, yes, my non-puking sweet sixteen.

JAY: I'd love to look fourteen years into the future. I assume my 50th b-day bash will be a biggie, so it'd be nice to see who shows up for the party...and see if I recognize them. (But if someone isn't there, what does that mean?) I'd also like to get a sense of what's going on career-wise at 50. Unfortunately, having spent so much time discussing the issue of future-peeking with Carolyn to write our book, I know the repercussions can totally backfire. But I still want to know!

68 comments:

Amadis said...

I would time-travel back to my 18th Birthday. I was in Paris, waiting the all-day for a gig of my favorite musician : Miyavi. It was not perfect (my cellphone had finish broken) but I have great memories of this moment : me with my friends, waiting in the streets, hysterical because my favorite artist came from Japan to France the same day as my Birthday. For me, it was like if my favorite musician offers me the perfect Birthday Gift !

Miss Bookiverse said...

I would want to re-experience my 18th birthday because it was one of the best I ever had. All my best friends in the world were there and we had lots of delicous food and just a lot of fun, staying up half the night, playing karaoke on the Playstation, talking and being silly.

k] said...

i would go back to my 13th birthday, when I officially became a teen,it's just a typical birthday but what I can't forget are my friends saying "WELCOME TO PUBERTY!"

Ingrid said...

I'd like to go back to my 4th birthday. We lived in northern Norway, and both my grandparents were alive. I still had my best friend (who blew out my candles, and I didn't even care). My dad also gave me a teddy bear that I still have. Oh, to be four years and innocent... :-)

Giselle said...

Ugh. I have no idea where I would travel too. Probably my 16th birthday when I met my high school (jerk) boyfriend haha. I can't wait to read this book!

Giselle
Xpresso Reads

Javid Suleymanli said...

I would like to travel to my 1st birthday. I'm very curious if my family was really happy about me. :D Yeah, of course they were happy but I've seen a lot of photos of my childhood and I really want to go back and look at the situation. I want to see everything with my eyes that my family did on my 1st birthday. {HAPPY BIRTHDAY!} :)

Sophiechen said...

I'd love to travel back to my 15th birthday. It was soccer World Cup finals and i was with my friend, watching the night before my birthday, and Spain won, and we were all dancing and having fun, when one of us screamed "OMG IT'S PAT MIDNIGHT, YOU'RE 15 NOW" and we all laughed and had so much fun, and just couldn't go to sleep, though it was like 2 in the mornng because we drank too much coke. I don't think I'm ever gonna forget that birthday !!!

Amy said...

I think I would like to relive my 15th birthday. I wouldn't change anything at all. I met my high school sweetheart at that party and had amazing time slow dancing with him. I would like to relive it to remember how it feels to be so excited about a new crush. the butterflies you get in your stomach and the happiness you feel when he smiles at you. Teenage love is so incredibly intense! :D

Erica said...

Happy birthday! I loved my 27th birthday, so that wouldn't be a bad one to have again because a bunch of us went to a piano bar and sung all night long. And I got a sparkly Twilight cake...yes for my 27th birthday. (Got one this year for my 29th too) I can't wait for this years birthday. It is my 30th, which most people cringe at, but my parents and my boyfriend and I are going to Jamaica to celebrate, so it will definitely start out well. Plus I have accomplished a lot of the things I wanted to do before I am 30, so I am feeling pretty good.

Unknown said...

I would go back to my 9th birthday. Birthdays back then were all held at the roller rink and that was my favorite. The whole class would come to the party. It was a lot of fun.

Matthew MacNish said...

I was going to wish you happy birthday on Facebook, but you have your wall turned off. Not that you can be blamed. If I was as famous as you, I'd probably do the same.

My past is mostly regrettable, so I think I'd like to go to my 40th (only 6 more years) to see where my career is at.

Kathleen said...

I'd probably go back to my eighteenth birthday to try to do some damage-control, see if I could stop some stuff from happening. But then, hey, if I did, then I wouldn't be the person I am now, and would I be answering this question?

Angel (Mermaid Vision Books) said...

I would time-travel back to my 12th birthday. My parents took me to Disney World for the very first time, but halfway through the trip, I got sick. The last thing I remember about Florida is how bright the lights were at Celebration Hospital. I have no memories of being flown back to Philadelphia or the three days I spent in the hospital after that. If I could, I'd tell my past self to avoid the Aladdin virtual reality game NO MATTER WHAT.

Anonymous said...

I'd go back to my 10th birthday. Things were so much easier back then
Not that I don't like today xP

Marisa said...

I would definitely go back to my 16th birthday. Instead of having a huge party like most of the other girls in my grade, my family went to Disney World. From our resort we could see the fireworks every night, and we could walk right over to Epcot whenever we wanted. It was amazing being able to spend my "sweet sixteen" at the "most magical place on earth," with the three most special people in my life, and I don't think I'll ever forget that birthday :)

Christian Nunez said...

Even though it was almost been 2 years ago, I turn 20 on Nov. 3. I would like to re-experience would be my 18th birthday. Things lately havent been bad but that day was a good day. My brother was here, as he lives out of state, in my speech class i head to read a book in front of the class, and since it was my birthday it seemed fitting that my choice was Dr.Seuss's "Oh, the Places You'll Go!", may day at school was great and that night I got a tattoo. My brother wanted to give me an extreme gift so he ended paying for my tattoo. Funny thing was that alot of people thought i couldnt go through it but i proved them wrong by getting it. It was a good day that I wouldn't mind spending again.

P.S. Happy Birthday, I hope the best for everything.

ChelseaSC said...

Happy birthday, Jay! I too would like to skip ahead and get a peek at a future birthday. I was never any good at questions like "where will you be in 5 years" simply because I didn't know what I wanted to do until well into grad school. At 26, I'm not at all where I ever imagined I would be (though life is excellent, just unexpected). With that in mind, I'm curious to see where I will be at 35, and if it's anything like where I imagine I'll be. I hope it's a combination of what I imagine now and a few surprises!

Hikablack said...

I'd to jump forward to my 18th birthday. It's a huge turning point and I'm sure it'd be awesome! I want to see who I'd still be friends with and what my plans for the future are when I'm 18. Oh, and I can get drunk--legally!

Rachele Alpine said...

I would travel back to my 30th. It was a surprise party that I had NO IDEA was being planned....I was so shocked when I walked into a restaurant and there were all my friends/family!

Brown Eyed Girl said...

For me, I'd go back to just about any birthday from ages 5-9. I lived on Guam then, and we'd spend the day at the beach if it was the weekend. My mother always had a special cake and she would write Happy Birthday messages on the mirrors and I'd have a ton of friends over at night for pizza and roller skating in the lanai and a sleepover. I'm not sure it gets much better than that.

Anonymous said...

I'd go back to my 16th birthday: it's the birthday my parents forgot, just like in the movie "Sixteen Candles".

I spent my 16th birthday in the back of the family car, reading for 11 hours, as my family headed home from our vacation in Michigan. We stopped only when my dad wanted to, which meant only when we needed more gas in the car and when we did the drive-thru at McDonald's.

I had friends who had Sweet 16 parties. I don't think anyone even remembered my birthday until 2 days later, when I asked if we could go and get my driver's permit. And by then, it was too late to celebrate my ruined sweet 16.


If I had it to do all over again, I'd suggest leaving a day early. Or I would at least bring it to my parents' attention that MY 16th BIRTHDAY was the day they were planning to drive all day in the car. Everyone was still alive when I was 16 and really, the shit hit the fan a few months later when my grandma and her sister both dropped dead. I'd like to see everyone again. :(

Krista Cubicleblindness said...

My parents divorced when I was 8. I don't remember any of the times when my family was together as a whole. I want to re-experience one of my toddler years when my parents were happy, my brother didn't join he army and move to Germany and the extended family visited. A whole house full of the family connection I feel has been lost. Singing happy birthday and eating from a Garfield cake.

George Anthony Kulz said...

I think I'd like to jump ahead 2 birthdays (I'll be 42 then). Just to see if I'm any closer to publishing that elusive first novel.

kevan atteberry said...

Hmmm . . A re-experiencing of a birthday? Or a do-over of a birthday? I'd like to re-experience my 26th birthday - it was a great night with friends. I'd like a do-over of my 22nd. An embarrassing birthday and one I still shudder whenI think aobut it.

KERSTIN LANETTE 13 said...

i would go back to my 14th birthday. it was the worst birthday ever, not body showed up, my dad was deathly ill, my mom dident get me a cake, my sister was being evil, and i had to pretend to have fun at an arcade where 6 year olds called me prego(and i was skinny!!) anyways i would go back to it ust to remember what had happened in detail.. i know its weird to want to go back to the worst birthday ever but when i try to remember parts of it i black out.. i want to know what happen.. it would help my book(yes jay 13reasons why inspired me to write a book myself based on personal and fictional experinces.. gonna be epic.. just sayin') but but um a birthday i would like to pre-experince(i hope i understand that means before it happens) is my 16th. well since my birthday is on friday the 13th my "sweet 16" shall not be prety and pink like normal ones, it shall be my "S!CK S!XT33N" and have it themed like nightmare on elm street(the originals with robert englund) since thats like my favorite movie ever. i just want to see how its going to turn out so if i know somethings going to mess up i can fix it before it happens.. kinda butterfly affety.. but um anyways cant wait for the new book:D super hyped and um HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! <3

G. Donald Cribbs said...

not sure I'd want to reexperience any of my birthdays, but it sure would be nice to go back to any of them if I could take the knowledge I have now with me. Otherwise, I'd like to go forward 2 years when I hit the big FOUR OH and see what I might learn from that day.

I'm really looking forward to this book. Thank you!

KathleenWW said...

I would not choose a specific birthday, but any one from my childhood, before I was a teenager, and the world became more complicated. Not that I had an idyllic childhood (oh, far from it!). But I am still nostalgic (and even talk about it!)for that "birthday feeling" I would get when my big day rolled around...knowing I'd get a gift (probably something I really wanted, since I was an indulged only child)and a Carvel ice cream cake...oh the anticipation. The morning of my birthday was always a happy one...

Sue said...

I would want to go back to my first birthday, before I knew what a birthday even was & all I knew was that whole cake was there just for me & if I stuck my face in it people thought it was cute.

Savannah said...

Unfortunately, there aren't too many birthdays that I can remember. I'm about to turn 18 in about a month. But if I could choose one birthday to go back to it would be either my 5th or 6th birthday. I can't remember which one it is but I have the most vivid memory of how excited I was. We had the party at my grandma's house and my parents were already divorced so my dad wasn't there but all my mom's friends were. I remember her friend Gregg saying that I wasn't getting any presents. My most vivid memory of that day is someone walking through my grandma's living room holding a huge blanket. I had no idea what was under it. All of a sudden the blanket dropped and behind it was Gregg holding my first bike. I was so happy and excited that I jumped on it right away while still in my grandma's house. There's a picture in my house of me on it and the blanket was still being held up. That's how fast I raced to get on it. I loved that bike. It was the brightest blue and I still have it today! I tried riding it a couple months ago but it wasn't the most comfortable thing to be doing. I got on the bike the next day in my own front yard and the first thing I did was crash into the huge tree in my yard. Ahh... I miss childhood. I would love to go back there. Even if it was only to experience one birthday.

Aubrey Anne said...

It feels so cliche to wish for my 15th birthday again, but I'm not gonna lie, things have never been as awesome as they were at fifteen. Surprise party with all my best friends, a pickle filled with quarters as a gift... just doesn't get much better than that. ;)

MamaCrystal said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!!! TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY TOO!!!!

If I could redo any birthday it would be my 10th birthday. That was the last birthday I ever shared with my little brother before he passed away at 8. I don't even remember the birthday, but I would love to spend it with him again.

MegCline said...

I would probably only go back to my 17th birthday. That was the beginning f my Junior year in high school. It was when I still had my 2 best friends before they all got into a massive fight and I supposedly choose my best friend over my cousin(my other best friend). Now I hardly ever see my best friend and I'm banished from my dads side of the family. I guess things happen for a reason though right?

Valerie Araujo said...

I would love to go back and re-experience my seventh birthday. My younger brother Nick was born that day and I have always said, and still will to this day, that he is the best birthday present I ever got.

Sabrina Steyling said...

I would do-over my 16th birthday because it was a disaster. My parents, 5 y.o. sister & I went to the mall w/my 4 best friends - (2) black & (1) bi-racial from my school, & (1) white girl who had since started going to a different school. First off, the three girls from my school didn't get along with the one white girl (and vice-versa). Then, to make matters worse, we had to wait over an hour to get into the restaurant for supper, and then my father's hot sandwich was given to him cold and he had a huge fight with the waitress.

I would love to do that birthday outing over because, in hindsight, I would do all separate outings - one with the three girls from my school, one with the other girl, and one with my family - to spare myself from any embarrassment!

Sara (of the Page Sage) said...

The birthday I would like to pre-experience is my 100th birthday. It would be nice to know if I live till 100, but I'd want to see who is still in my life that far into the future. I'd get to find out everything that had led up to that bday, which would be pretty cool (although I'm not sure I would want to take away the element of surprise)!

Happy Birthday!!! (:

Yolande said...

If I could, I would travel back to my 6th birthday. I remember it vaguely, but that was the time when you didn't have to worry about anything and just have fun! I remember having a great time and getting surprised each time I opened up a new present.

-Yolande
candycane16 @ roadrunner . com

Kira Marion said...

Happy Happy Birthday to you!!
This is a toughie...because there's two I'd like to see...

I would like to time travel to my 16th birthday. It was the first birthday that I really got to celebrate on my own. I have twin older brothers with birthdays two days before mine and never had a separate celebration with my family until they were out of the house. Lol. I also got my first job that day, and my driver's license!

I would also like to go forward and see my 30th. See where my life is... Am I married or dating? Have I finished my book? Where am I working? Are all my friends there? But then again.... I don't want to know... so 16 it is! :)

bobcatgrad said...

I would like to re-experience my 22nd birthday. I share my birthday with my grandpa and we have always celebrated together. This year will be 85 for him and 29 for me. Turning 19 was the first year we were apart because I was away at college.

Jessica said...

Frankly, I would want to relive my birthday last year, because I took a trip to Universal to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was SO awesome. I went with my husband, my brother, and my brother's wife, and we wizarded it up like good Potterheads. I wish I was drinking a tall, cold glass of butterbeer right now...

Anonymous said...

I would time travel to my 35th birthday. What state will the world be in? How will I be in 10 years? Will my friends/location change in that time? I'm always curious about the future; I can't wait! So excited to read this book!

Jasmine said...

I would most definitely go back to my 13th birthday. I got my electric guitar that year, and my parents surprised me by taking me to na Alicia Keys and John Legend concert at Radio City Music Hall. It was probably the one birthday where I got just about everything that I wanted. :)

Unknown said...

I would time travel back to my ninth birthday. It was the best and last birthday party I ever had even though only four out of the 20 people I invited came. It was still great! =)

Mary said...

I would like to travel two years into the future to experience my 18th birthday. It would be interesting to see how together my life is right before graduation.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. I do believe I am too chicken to go forward in time (like you said, repercussions). Although it might be kind of cool to see my 100th b-day shindig. Although I'd probably be sad to see he isn't there. So yeah, I'll stick to the past. 16 was great- I had a live band @ my party and everything, but I didn't know my husband then. So maybe 19 instead-- last year of my teens, first year of college, a taste of freedom without too much responsibility. Yeah 19 = GOOD TIMES.

Ivana said...

Happy birthday!
I would love to relive my 18th birthday as well. That day I graduated from high school and had an amazing time at out local pub playing pool and drinking beer with five of my favorite friends.
Tuck Everlasting is beautiful, both the book and the movie. It's the first movie in my life that's made me cry.

Jessica said...

I have always thought the idea of golden birthdays was cool, but I was born on the 3rd of the month I didn't get to experience it! I wish I could have been there.

Anonymous said...

I would like to go forward 10 years to my 50th birthday. Both of my children should be out of college then and I would like to see them then and know that they are happy!

Jenn said...

I would go back to my 18th Birthday...and that was three moths ago xD, but I would because it was the last time I saw my friends and family before leaving to live in the USA, I was leaving the day after it. And seeing as I miss them so much, well I would just love to go back to see them. Aaaand because it was an awesome birthday, I love monkeys, so the theme was monkeys, and the cake was so good! It was a great day, bittersweet, but great.

Unknown said...

I would go back to my 21rst birthday. it was awful and I want a redo. I was at University and everyone had finals that day and the day after. My roommate had left to go home early so my big hoopla consisted of me hanging out with a friend who was an exchange student from Wales drinking and me asking him if I could braid his hair then trying to get him to date a mutual friend.

Bluesy said...

I'd go back to my sweet 16 birthday party and do The Time Warp again with my friends at L'Express restaurant on Ventura Blvd, eating my mother's specially made strawberry cheesecake... but most importantly, giving my mom a kiss and telling her that I love her. Since she died three years ago, I'd do anything to just tell her that and hug her one more time.

tyneal said...

I would want to go back to probably the 5th grade, my family was still a family and everyone was happy... and try to fix any famliy problems i might have created, even though i was only a child i still feel like i had something to do with my family falling apart.

Cha said...

I would want to go back to my 18th birthday when my family and I went to Hongkong to celebrate. It was my first time to go there and I fell in love with the place.

YA Book Queen said...

I'd love to travel forward to my 25th birthday, just so I can see what my life and life in general is like then ;)

Laura (All of Everything) said...

I think I'd like to travel forward to my 30th birthday. I'm 20 and I don't even know what I'll be doing next year, let alone in 10! Hope it'll be good :)

Dru said...

I would love to go back to my 15th birthday. All my friends came over we played DDR, and I got tons of excellent books to read.

Bruno said...

OhGod; Last 28, September, was my 16th birthday. It would be a wonderful present for me win this "Future Friday". But, answering your question: I have no ideia. I loved all my birthdays!

Shawn Hudnell said...

I wouldn't want to relive any birthday nor jump ahead and experience a future birthday. I am not sure why, I guess because if I did either then I might mess something up in my current life! I am blessed to have the life that I have so going back in time or in the future might change the way my life is today!

Kellee said...

I would actually go back and re-experience my 16th birthday so I could redo it. It was HORRIBLE and it was all because of me. My birthday is in June and I was furious that my 16th birthday landed on the same day as father's day; so, I had to share what I thought was the biggest birthday ever with my dad. I was a pretty awful person to be around that day. I wish I could fix it.

Unknown said...

Well first, Happy Birthday!
And second, I would want to relive my last birthday, when I turned 16. I was at Disneyland all day and since that's basically my favorite place in the world, nothing was wrong. Also, the weekend before I had found out my best friend was coming with me on a trip to Wisconsin for 5 days and we had the best time ever.

Christi said...

Happy birthday Jay!

Sadly, I think that I could re-live almost any of my birthdays. Thinking back, I can't remember one birthday that was so awesome I'd call it the best birthday ever. That's so depressing. Although, this past birthday was pretty cool--my daughter & I headed into NYC for the day, shopping, lunch, and there happened to be a YA author event at Books of Wonder that day! (Sarah Mlynoski, if you're interested.) That was a pretty decent birthday.

Lisa said...

Firstly, Happy Birthday!

If I could relive a Birthday it would probably be my 19th. I was officially legal to drink in my province. My best friends took me out to a restauaunt, paid for my meal and my drinks and brought me out to a couple of clubs where again they paid for everything (Even when I tried to get them not to). I was the last out of all of them to turn 19 so it was a big deal then. It's my most memorable Birthday, one I know I won't forget.

Candace Osterhout said...

I would go back in time to my 10th birthday party. I had it at a gymnasium in June, so alot of people were on vacation :/. But my best friend was still there! I'd just want to jump in the giant ball pit again! :)

Riley said...

haFor my first birthday my parents gave me a twinkie instead of a cake and my face got covered in cream and everyne was smiling and happy I wish I could have seen that to remeber it.

Beth S. said...

I think I'd want to re-experience my 21st birthday since it was so not the wild and crazy celebration that most people get when they turn 21. Not that I really WANTED a wild and crazy celebration, but a bit more fanfare would have been nice. My best friend at the time had just ditched me and decided to stop hanging out with me and I was devastated because he was like family to me. So when my birthday came around, I didn't feel much like celebrating. I wish I could go back and do that over and realize my life actually turned out much better now that he's no longer in my life. After he ditched me, he started drinking heavily and became somewhat of a lost soul. I'm actually glad he ditched me so he couldn't have sucked me into his misery.

writestuff said...

I'd like to travel to the not too distant future when I turn 60. I'll stop dying my hair. It grows in silver and it gets long and I twirl it round and round and I pin it to the top of my head with little bobby pins. Just like my favorite teacher 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Gray did.

Grace Amanda said...

Happy birthday, Jay! :]
Anyway, I'd like a do-over for my 13th birthday party. Nothing particularly bad happened on that birthday. I just don't remember it. It was my first year at a new school, so I didn't have anyone to invite to a birthday party. I also wish I could have done more for my 18th birthday. Since the legal drinking age is 18 where I live, I would have liked to have gone out with my friends. Instead, I spent the entire day studying for my math final the next day. Oh, well. I did quite well on the final, so I guess it was for the best.

Owen. V said...

I would pre-experience my 18th birthday so then I could finally order off a snuggie, a pillow pet, and a magic bullet all off of infomercials. Thay way I could be in a blanket while creating a smoothie while resting my head on a playful friend!

Kenneth Francisco said...

i would go back to my 13th birthday, when I officially became a teen,it's just a typical birthday but what I can't forget are my friends saying "WELCOME TO PUBERTY!"