Y is for Yesteryear
Having been blessed with teacher’s holidays, I’ve been lucky enough to celebrate a summer birthday in some amazing places over the years. How’s this for a list …. Alice Springs, Antigua, Athens, Bali, Bath, Budapest, Capri, Chicago, Cologne, Dordogne (France), Guatemala, Hong Kong, Jodhpur (India), Las Vegas, Malta, Nashville, New York, Nuwara Eliya (Sri Lanka), Orlando, Serengeti (Tanzania), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Zadar (Croatia)….to name a few!!
(Birthday Girl, Hong Kong, 1988)
I’ve spent many birthdays on European campsites – 3 in France, 4 in Spanish camps and maybe 5 in Italy. I’ve counted 9 birthdays in the US.
The great thing about being away is that you’re already in festive mood. While I’d do something to mark the day, I never went all out for a grand splash – there was never a need… being away was enough of a celebration in itself. If there was something special in the place I’d try to coincide it with my birthday so I’ve cycled to Angkor Wat, had afternoon tea in Nuwara Eliya and gone to the Grand Ole Opry show in Nashville….
Of course, not every birthday was exotic or glamorous – there were occasions when we were in transit – ending up in a dingy motel or a truck stop in our caravan. Sometimes in the early years, the holiday budget was so tight that the celebration stretched to a shared pizza.
There were 2 years (out of the last 40!) when I celebrated my birthday in Ireland – once, we came home for a wedding and on another occasion we were heading to Tunisia the following day (something to do with flights…)
And now 2020 makes for a third time.
I’ve recently celebrated my ‘Covid’ birthday. It certainly wasn’t what I could have possibly imagined at the beginning of 2020 but I’d a lovely time in Dingle, County Kerry – the sun even shone for a few hours!
I don’t know what the next few years will bring but we travelers have been blessed with wonderful memories – let’s never take anything for granted again!
(Birthday Girl, Vegas, 2019!)
