Yes, it is that magical time of year, when everyone celebrates me! A time when everyone takes time out of their busy day to wish me well, ask me what my plans are, inquire about any gifts I've received, and ask the inevitable question, "so, how old are you?" (None of your business, by the way.) Mostly, it's the day that I get to soak up all the attention, get showed with gifts and compliments and indulge in all the goodies I want.(Modesty is usually my strong suit, but this is my special day, so deal with it.)
But even with all the love and attention I get on my birthday, I still struggle when it comes to telling people what I want. By now I've gotten past the age of birthday parties and wrapping presents and moved into the stage when a friend buying you a drink or lunch is a perfectly acceptable gift. So when my dad asked me what I wanted, I could not give him a straight answer--in all honesty, I had spent so much time planning my birthday party, I had not even though about what I actually wanted. I usually end up saying a gift card or money, but those don't really have much significance. (Though I am more than happy to accept them.) So I certainly appreciated my dad giving me a beautiful sapphire necklace and matching earrings...very thoughtful and something I would never buy for myself.
Yet as my magical day continues to tick by, I keep wondering what my perfect birthday gift would be. And then it hit me as I was collecting travel news for work...
A trip!
My perfect birthday gift would be a vacation...and not a vacation to just anywhere....to ITALY!
I want to spend my birthday in Tuscany, on a vineyard, surrounded by bottles of wine and plates of delicious food. I want to spend the day walking through the cobbled streets of the various Italian cities, window shopping at all the boutique and designer stores I cannot afford. I want to enjoy a loaded cone of Straciatella gelato, topped with another scoop of baccio--yum. I want to wander through fields of sunflowers, maybe grab a few to make my own personal birthday bouquet. I want to pick fresh grapes from the vine, and then learn how to crush them to make sweet wine. I want to sit around a festive table full of friends and family, all enjoying a fresh, home-cooked meal.
Obviously, I would not be able to jet over to Italy for one day only, it would require a much longer vacation, but you all get the idea. I couldn't do it this year, but maybe for my 30th--that's another big birthday that deserves a special celebration.
So for now, if you really want to get me a gift, a bottle of Italian wine or dinner or chocolate. Or perhaps giving me some miles so I can start saving them up for my perfect birthday in Italy!
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