You say it’s your birthday.

I share a birthday month with a very famous figure: the baby Jesus. I will say that it kind of stinks sometimes, only because people are so very busy running around, getting stressed out because of too many parties, too many calories to burn, too many gifts to buy, too many bills to pay. That means a December birthday can be overlooked quite easily (don’t even get me started on the Christmas/Birthday combination gifts). My family has never overlooked my birthday, and because of the holidays, I am often with some or all of them for the celebration (or two or three celebrations). I have also planned my own festivities when not yet home for the holidays – eating delicious food at a fun restaurant with friends is always a great time. For one noteworthy birthday, I went to San Francisco with some girlfriends. But usually, it’s pretty low-key.

Here I am with friends for my birthday weekend in San Francisco.
Guess what we're eating. Guatemalan food of course! 

In all my travels, I have only been overseas on my birthday once. And if you have been following this blog at all, you can guess that that place was Guatemala. So yes, a few years ago, I was in Xela, Guatemala for my birthday. And just like here in the U.S., people were extremely busy with Christmas activities ... shopping, cooking, decorating, buying gifts for a long list of friends and family. I wasn’t planning or expecting anything special for my birthday that year because I was staying with a family I had only known for a couple months. I didn’t need anything special because I was somewhere different and interesting, which was special enough. Plus, at work we were busy wrapping Christmas gifts for all the children in the afterschool program. That was like a party in and of itself! Sitting around with my boss and his family, rockin’ out to music, wrapping gifts for children who would even appreciate a boring pair of socks if that were their gift. How can you beat it?

But the morning of my birthday, as I was getting into the shower, I heard “Pop! Pop! Pop!” outside the window. Firecrackers. They are quite a common sound during the holiday season in Latin America, very celebratory. What I found out when I went to the kitchen for breakfast after getting ready was that the father of my host house had set them off in my honor. It was tradition – lighting firecrackers the morning of someone’s birthday. So cool! 

My birthday was happily eclipsed by the actual Christmas party at the afterschool program, where we gave out the gifts we had been wrapping the day before. Such excitement came from the children of all ages. They were so appreciative of so little. Their cute faces just lit up as they opened their presents. That was even more fantastic than firecrackers.

Here are two of the boys, with their gifts
and refreshments. How cute are they?!

After the holiday party, I went home and one of the daughters had made a dessert for my birthday. It was delicious and so nice that they had thought of me again. I hadn’t been there long, but they were already well aware of how much I loved sweets. Then I went out to dinner with my boss, Jaime, and his wife, Betty. We were able to hang out, talk, enjoy some good food, have a glass of wine and just have fun outside of work (and wrapping gifts). I couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.

 

Here I am, completely mesmerized by the cake
Luci (next to me) had made for me.

I was far from home on that birthday, far away from family and friends. And as is usual this time of year, people were busy. But those I had met in Xela, whom I had only known for a very brief time, made sure they helped me celebrate in some way. I enjoy spending my birthday with loved ones close to home. But on that birthday, being far away from home was very special. If you are lucky enough to travel abroad, and you happen to be in another country on your birthday, I hope you are with people like those I befriended in Guatemala. Because it will be a lifelong memory, one you will remember on those future birthdays at home, one that will stay with you when you don’t have morning firecrackers to wish you “Happy Birthday.”