Why I love birthdays

Birthdays are a funny thing – some people love them and others hope the day passes without anyone noticing. In my family, birthdays are celebrated, sometimes lasting for a week or more.

 

My mom always let us stay home from school (if we wanted) and I’ve carried on that tradition – I never work on my birthday and I only do exactly what I want!

 

Some years I’ve gone on a road trip or spent the day at a spa but if you asked me where I’d be celebrating my birthday in 2017, I never imagined I’d say Croatia!

 

In true Hargrave style, I stretched my birthday into a long weekend and headed south to Dubrovnik with two girlfriends. We rented an adorable apartment within the City Walls and were greeted by Ivana, our lovely host. She was born and raised in Dubrovnik and told us her grandfather had built the house in 1902 (the last house built within the walled city so it’s considered “new”).

 

We dropped our bags and set off for a guided tour of her home town, starting at the top – the City Walls. Climbing the steep stone steps and seeing the narrow railing, I began to wonder if I actually was afraid of heights. But once we reached the top, the path widened, the walls were thick and things felt solid. I began to relax and look around at the stunning view from my new perspective.

 

As we walked along, Ivana pointed out various sites, adding in spots only a local would know – this was my kindergarten (on top of the walls!), here is damage from the bombs (from the Serbian-Montenegrin war in 1991), there is my house (in a sea of red roof tiles and green shutters).

 

As I ran my hand along the stones, I wondered what it must have been like to live here in the days when guards patrolled these walls, looking for enemy ships approaching from the sea. I was walking the same steps, the exact path they had, looking at the same views they did.

 

We finished the tour and Ivana sent us on our way with recommendations for dinner, which turned out to be one of the most delicious meals I’ve had so far in Croatia. And no, I’m not talking about the waiter who kissed me and asked me to marry him – that’s another story!

 

The next day we planned our sight-seeing to include various Game of Thrones filming locations (I haven’t watched the show but Adrienne got me up to speed), a ferry to the island of Lokrum and the cable car. We managed to squeeze everything in and barely caught the bus home!

 

On my actual birthday, we had a few pre-planned activities including exploring Roman ruins near Solin, olive oil/cheese/wine tasting at a local eco-village and visiting Kliss Fortress. After all that fresh air, I needed a nap (it’s not only part of Croatian culture, but also fits my usual Sunday afternoon schedule).

 

Then to wrap up the day, Patricia (my roomie) arranged Peka – a traditional dinner in Croatia. Twelve of us met at the restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal full of laughter and stories.

 

Due to the nine-hour time difference, my birthday continued as family and friends woke up back home and sent messages. I even got to video call with my sister, which included a competition between my six-year-old nephew and two-year-old niece to see who could yell “Happy Birthday Aunty” the loudest. It was a wonderful day!

 

With only a few days lefts in Split, I spent my time visiting the restaurants still on my list, purchased souvenirs to send home and sat by the sea with my toes in the water.

 

It’s hard to believe my first month is wrapping up – just when I’m starting to figure out the currency, speak a few words of Croatian and have favourite locations. But I guess that’s what I signed up for – a year of never getting comfortable, of letting go of old beliefs and finding new ways to live a life you love.

 

It’s my birthday and I’m on a yearlong adventure – what a beautiful gift to give myself.

 

What about your birthday – do you have any special traditions or do you prefer the day quietly pass by?