Joyeaux Anniversaire

I love that feeling when you first wake up in the morning on your birthday and you realize that today is a day worth getting excited about. It’s like Christmas – when you grow up and gifts aren’t as important, you don’t look as forward to the holiday in the same way. It’s a great excuse to have some quality family time, but it’s no longer mysterious and exciting. However, when you open your eyes Christmas morning, you can’t help but to get excited.

That’s how I felt this year. I know I’m out of sight and out of mind and I was a little disappointed because I’ve always had an incredible time with my buddies on my birthday, but I thought a quiet evening with my family would be a nice change. Yet when I woke up this morning, I couldn’t resist the smile creeping across my face. I couldn’t resist the excitement growing inside. And to no one other than myself, I said aloud – my first words of the day, “It’s my birthday!”



Unfortunately it really wasn’t the greatest birthday. I am here in my version of heaven so I hate to complain (though I know I’m really good at it) it’s just that birthdays are meant to be filled with friends and family and food and laughter.. and booze. Not today. My mother was terribly ill all morning – so sick we considered bringing her to the hospital. (That really says a lot because you have to be pretty desperate to go to a hospital in France – where everyone is about working as little as possible – on a Saturday, no less.) So while she slept it off, my father and I tried our best to clean the cabanon entirely, but it needed so much work we couldn’t finish in one day. It was beautiful outside, but between my mother and all the stuff we had to do, we couldn’t relax on the beach. So we cleaned some more, packed up the car (and let me tell you – lugging huge bags of clothes and trash up the path and the stairs in the blistering heat to the parking lot and dumpsters is not a good time), finally got my mother out of bed and into our big house, and decided around 4pm it was time to go shopping.

Honestly, sitting in one spot all day puts me in a bad mood. But I tried! I felt optimistic about searching for a scooter, but found none. I was pumped to get the Internet, but the wanadoo server was down. I was relieved to buy something nice for Christine and Xavier for their cabanon, but nothing was good enough. And on top of everything else, I got a bee sting in the ass. Seriously, right in the center of my left butt cheek. Ughh… I’ll stop whining.

Needless to say, today was not the ideal birthday. I’m sitting at the view now thinking what an amazing place this is, just how I wish I felt more at home. I wish that my mother didn’t start her vacation like this.

This is also the first year since I was 15 that I haven’t worked on my birthday (remember I really like to work). It’s just odd to know I’ll go to bed tonight sober.