today, i turn 27 years old.

at my first birthday, i was allowed to eat as much cake as i wanted. my parents regretted this the next day when we flew out of guatemala and all the cake came back (i couldn't fly without throwing up until i was 10. does this have something to do with it?).

on my tenth birthday, i broke a mirror.

i was in nicaragua on my fifteenth birthday and my nicaraguan classmates threw me a surprise party (during school!). they gave me roses. my parents gave me a trip to europe with my father that turned into a full family outing and remains a favorite memory.

when i turned 18, i had just arrived in france and my host family had some people over who would turn out to be good friends. later on in the year, my second host mother threw me a surprise party on the 9th of april because in french the dates are written day first (so 9/4 was april fourth to her). so i had two eighteenth birthdays.

three years ago, i had just returned from my honeymoon.

and now, at 27, i am certainly older if not wiser. and, if you will allow some sentimentality, happy. life is good.