YOu're right - looking back on photos are usually happy memories. When I was stuck in lockdown in the UK early 2020 there was a ton of anxiety and frustration, yet the photos from that time just beam with loveliness, reminding us of the good, dimming the bad.
And I'm with you - pack as much life as you can into these days, so that you can look back and remember such amazingness.
Glad you had a nice time, and happy birthday. Oh, and well done for using 'apogee' in a post. It's ever so rarely used in such a lovely way. Sorry, I can be a little bit of a word geek as I'm sure you are too.