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Coming at you, live from the Icelandair lounge at the Iceland airport for Reykjavik that is absolutely nowhere near the city of Reykjavik, it’s me, almost en route to Marburg, Germany, and wishing my grrrrl Christine a very happy 22nd birthday!

(Apologies in advance for the blubbering incoherence that is to follow. I’ve been up since 4  something Iceland time. ICELAND TIME.)

Christine! The above clip (I tried to attach the audio file, but apparently a certain free social media platform thinks it’s “too large”) is Titus Jones’s mash-up “Hello Girl, Let’s Party Til The End,” a jam of which I know only because of you. Let’s deconstruct this and determine why it is actually a song about you having a really wonderful birthday.

• “Hello” - This is not only the title of one of my favorite Euro pop hits, but it is also a) what you are saying to 22 today and b) what I am saying to you in this introductory portion of this post.
• “Girl” - Um, yes, hi, perfection. Obviously, this is No Doubt’s “Just a Girl,” which I cannot listening to without thinking of your rediscovery of Gwen (Gwennnn), just a girl in the world AND YET an inspiration to us all. I believe that your rediscovery of Gwen/this song period is also when we started calling each other girl (girrrrrl) as a form of friendpowerment (like empowerment, but through friendship), and also when we started typing consonants repeatedly (repeatedlllllly).
• “Let’s Party” - Yes, LET’S. 
• “Til The End” - Because you are the greatest and a friend through I cannot even, and I’m wishing you every happiness in the world. Til the end.

Happy birthday, girl. Til the end. Party. Let’s.

(xx!)