A Birthday at Sea

 

I absolutely love my birthday. I don't particularly enjoy getting older, but I certainly love celebrating. We've been at sea for several of my birthdays … November always seems like a good time to be on the move for the change of the seasons. This year is no different. Here we are on our way to South Africa and I'm turning a year older. No worries though. I'm a master at getting the most out of my birthday.

I always remind David well in advance (starting in October usually), that my birthday is coming up. It's not like he'd forget, but why chance it? Since we left before my birthday, we planned that our gourmet lunch at Bois Cheri would be a preliminary birthday celebration, a good way to get into the birthday spirit. I also suggested a few extra treats for myself since we don't often exchange gifts. I've got a new Mauritius tea mug and a t-shirt … after all, my birthday only comes once a year.

Once we're at sea, I count the days like a little kid. Then, it's finally the day. David greets me with a Happy Birthday song when I wake up for my midnight to 0300 watch. Sometimes he makes a card if we're not seasick and he takes care of cooking for the day. I make sure to stock the ingredients for my special birthday meal and there's usually a dessert involved.

There's limited merrymaking on the actual day, but that's okay because this is where the celebration becomes virtual. I have every intention of extending my birthday festivities to the other end of the passage in Durban, South Africa. Why wouldn't I? Virtual celebrations aboard are quite imaginative. We sit in the cockpit and I start describing a perfect day in Durban. The key is the imagery that we can conjure up while we're imagining what the day will be like … from a sunny, warm day walking hand in hand along a beach to what we might have for dinner or how good a glass of cold, bubbling champagne will taste after a couple of weeks at sea. Maybe we'll go to a park or on a safari … the possibilities are endless and so are our imaginations.

I guess the key is knowing that my birthday celebration isn't just a one-day affair. In my mind, November was created just so I'd have an entire month to celebrate.

Speaking of celebrations, don't forget to check out Days and Ways to Celebrate 2015 … a whole year of celebrations to ponder and plan for.