Celebrating a birthday away from home

When I was a kid, birthdays were a big deal.  I always had at least two parties (one with friends and one with family).  My parents took me out to dinner at the restaurant of my choosing and were very generous with gifts. It was fun to feel like the entire world revolved around me for just a day. 

My first birthday...celebrating with all my mom's friend's kids

As I grew up, my birthday gradually became less relevant. 

The first time I celebrated my birthday away from home was the year I studied in London during undergrad. I went out with friends from my dorm, but there was no need to mark my legal drinking age because I had been free to drink ever since I arrived in Europe nine months earlier.  Even though I was away from family during this time, it was still nice to have friends around. 

Little did I know, this marked the first of many years that I was unable to celebrate with family on my actual birthday. I usually went out with friends to mark the occasion (and to distract me from the reality of getting older). One year, I even took a trip to Florida with some of my best friends, but we all got so sunburnt that we barely made it through dinner on my actual birthday. 

2008 was the first time I had to travel for work on my birthday. I was alone throughout the work day, but I was lucky enough to be in the New York metro area where I met up with friends for dinner. As an added perk, my boss even allowed me to get a room at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park. 

The next year wasn't nearly as glamorous. I was working in Birmingham, Alabama and the view from my office window was this: 

Birthday shopping in Birmingham?

I remember spending an hour researching restaurants so I could at least treat myself to the perfect meal. After searching through menus, I decided on a trendy seafood restaurant called Ocean. Was the food great? Absolutely.  Was it depressing to eat dinner alone on my birthday? A little.  On the bright side, I had plans to go out with friends just a couple nights later (once I returned home to Washington, DC). 

2010 was the year of the MBA in Barcelona. It should have been an incredible place to ring in yet another year of my life. Unfortunately, a few conflicts during the semester caused classes to be rescheduled, and my birthday was the one and only time that we had a triple session of classes.  For nine hours, I sat behind my computer and listened to lectures.  By the end of this learning marathon, everyone quietly filtered out of the lecture hall and went straight home. Myself included.  

The following year, I had just moved to Chicago and I had about 2 friends. My friend Thom took me out for drinks and we closed out the night at a country-western bar. Even though I was technically "home", it didn't feel like home at all. 

2012 was a year of birthday redemption. I was traveling in Europe with a team from my office and my boss loves having an excuse to do nice things. My day actually started in Luxembourg, where I had been the night before for an awesome half-marathon. I spent the morning admiring the city and taking some photos, before catching a train to Paris. 

In Paris, I was fortunate enough to be staying at a super exclusive hotel and my first ride in the elevator was shared with someone who "seemed famous" (although I had no idea who he was). As we were heading out to dinner, the same guy was sitting in the lounge and I pointed him out to a colleague.  Turns out, the entire Vampire Diaries cast was staying at the hotel, and the guy I rode the elevator with earlier was Paul Wesley. Rubbing shoulders with celebrities was just the start of a fun evening. We enjoyed a dinner cruise along the Seine River and spent some time walking around the city. Strolling through Le Jardin des Tuileries reminded me that business trip birthdays can be fun, too.

Birthday evening in Paris, 2012

Over the course of the week in Paris, the hotel was filled with celebrities and the back of my head even had a youtube cameo at 1:02, when I entered the hotel with a colleague while fans were screaming over Ian Somerhalder. This was also the week of the French Open and I shared an elevator ride with the Federer family one morning on my way to breakfast.  Birthday week win! 

I expected 2013 to be a quiet birthday. I was alone in Casablanca and I arrived at the office just like any other day. A couple of the local managers suggested having lunch at the hotel's fine dining restaurant, which was a perfect coincidence for me. Then, out of nowhere, I heard the General Manager singing happy birthday and walking out with a cake and champagne! Somehow, the staff discovered that it was my birthday and I couldn't have been more surprised.

My Mom sent 8 birthday cards to my hotel in Casablanca

This year in Melbourne, I was working alone in my room and wondering whether anyone would discover it was my birthday. At lunch with some of the staff, we were discussing a new hire named "Kate" who joined several existing members of the sales team with the same name. This reminded the table that the majority of the Finance team was born during the month of October. Out of pure coincidence, they asked about my birthday and I admitted that it is today. They all offered an obligatory "Happy Birthday!", but it just wasn't feeling so happy to me since this was practically my only human interaction throughout the entire day. 

For dinner, I went down to the hotel restaurant and was told that it was closed for a private event. They offered room service as an alternative, but the only thing more pathetic than eating alone is eating alone in my room. I went back upstairs, grabbed a Kit Kat out of the minibar and rented a movie that ended up being a heartbreaking documentary. By 9pm, I was depleted of energy and opted to go to sleep early.

Fortunately, the next morning brought a fresh mind and renewed enthusiasm. I received several messages from friends who discovered it was my birthday via the Facebook reminder while I was asleep. I chatted with a friend in Hong Kong, received a call in my hotel from friends in New York and DC, and even received a birthday cake from the hotel.  

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One interesting thing about this blog is that the recollection of events sometimes helps to change my perception of them. I was initially going to write about how difficult it is to be away from home on your birthday.  But then I realized that I have enjoyed a few excellent birthdays on the road. I have also experienced some birthdays at home that have not lived up to my lofty expectations. 

A birthday is just another day except that it holds special meaning to one person.  The celebration should be about what makes that person happy. I love spending time with family and friends on my birthday, but I also love to explore the world.  Some years, those two desires are in conflict with each other. This was one of those years.  

Instead of complaining about one boring night, I will focus on the countless ways my life has been enriched as a result of my global travels. My lifestyle requires me to make a number of personal sacrifices, but it also affords me with opportunities that few people get to experience. This year, I just had to wait a little longer to eat my cake.  

Melbourne

When I arrived in Melbourne, the weather was dark and rainy.  It remained this way throughout the entire weekend.  I must admit that my first impressions of the city were not overwhelmingly positive. There was nothing wrong with the city, but it just failed to draw me in. 

The Central Business District (where my hotel is located) contains a lot of modern office buildings, restaurants, and a shopping mall the spans several city blocks.  Walking around, I strangely felt like I was in Toronto.  Everything seemed very "live-able" and clean, but also somewhat generic.

The view from my hotel was equally as uninspiring.  All I could see were railroad tracks, some green space, and an under-developed river. 

Good morning Melbourne!  Look at railroad tracks and a deserted river!

Gradually, Melbourne grew on me.  I went out a couple nights and appreciated the "buzz" of the downtown area.  Even on the weekends, people were enjoying the restaurants and bars, which is more than can be said about many cities in Midwest USA.  

The arts scene is thriving, with several large theaters and art galleries downtown.  One evening, the cast of "Wicked" was out on the streets in full costume, performing snippets from the show.  I doubt you would ever see that in Manhattan!

One of several theatres in Melbourne CBD

As the days passed, I started noticing the interesting mix of 'old' and 'new' in Melbourne. Beautiful historic buildings like you would see in Europe intermingle with modern architecture.  Gothic-style cathedrals are dwarfed by neighboring skyscrapers that have grown up around them.  The result is a city that appears modern in every panorama but has pockets of history that can be appreciated by anyone who is willing to look deeper. 

Historic Hotel Windsor juxtaposes with the ultra-modern Sheraton

The spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral no longer dominate the skyline

Interior of St. Patrick's Cathedral rivals any in Europe

Many photograph opportunities in the cathedral

Interior of St. Patrick's Cathedral

One of my friends lived in Melbourne for a year and he described it as "England mixed with Baltimore".  Phrases like "How ya goin?", "good on you", and "no worries, mate" reflect an amazingly relaxed lifestyle that mixes perfectly with the old English sophistication. Everyone loves to talk and - more importantly - they love to have a good laugh.  

One morning, I captured these unique personalities on the street

I prefer the marshmallow peeps to anything advertised here!

On Mother's Day, I was invited to join the local staff on an 8k run, which was a surprisingly huge event.  Thousands of people packed the course to raise money for breast cancer.  The Mother's Day Classic is a national event and I love how Australians embrace the spirit of charity in conjunction with a day to celebrate Mom.   

Photos from the Mother's Day Classic in Melbourne

On my way back to the hotel, I discovered an alley that is filled with graffiti.  Normally, I detest this form of self-expression but Melbourne has found a way to show off its artistic value. Fortunately, the graffiti is confined to just a few streets, while the rest of the city is impeccably clean. 

Graffiti has transformed this alley in a surprisingly aesthetic way

I felt very "hipster" in this part of the city.

The more I explored Melbourne, the more I discovered its fun side. Hidden in the seemingly boring business district are musicians, parks for relaxing, and buildings with unconventional character. Just like Sydney, Melbourne is filled with hidden gems.

A street performer entertains people in the CBD

People enjoy the beautiful weather in front of this building

I am happy that I have four weeks to explore Melbourne because it is a city that requires a little extra time to really appreciate. Tourists have even fewer sites to visit than in Sydney, but lifestyle is what really makes the difference here.