Another Trip Around The Sun

I used to celebrate my birthday by traveling abroad with my twin sister, but lately, time constraints have made that pretty challenging. Ideally, I’d like at least a week and a half off to account for possible flight delays or unexpected events. Based on experience, the most nerve-wracking trip we had was our flight home from Cambodia. Our flight was canceled, and we waited for hours in vain for the weather to improve, but it never fully did. It was stormy, with heavy rain and thunderstorms, and the turbulence was the worst we’d ever encountered. Since then, I’ve sworn off red-eye flights—no more midnight departures for the sake of our sanity (and trauma recovery, lol).

This year, I initially suggested Sapa, Vietnam. The European/French architecture there is striking—especially unique for a Southeast Asian destination. But since it’s summer, airfare prices have soared, and with little time to plan, it just wasn’t feasible. So we celebrated at home instead: ordered takeout, gave my sister the Charlotte Tilbury setting spray she wanted, and she gifted me a cute Popmart Skullpanda figure.

I guess that’s just how it goes. As you get older, you tend to want your birthday to be as low-key as possible. I even avoid posting about it on social media—I honestly hate when people find out and greet me. It feels awkward, to be honest. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t like giving any hint that it’s my birthday. I’d rather people not bother, which might seem strange to some.

That said, I’m still grateful—for another calendar year, and for every single day I get to live it.