Birthdays

In just a few hours I will turn ... well let's just say another year has past.  I'm not ashamed or embarrassed by my age. As they say, it's just a number. And according to a Facebook quiz I took, I only look 19. I don't buy it but I'm sure the fact that my profile pic is of me smiling and appear to be happy, helps me to look younger than my years. Another reason I suppose I look younger, besides good genetics (Thanks Mom!) is that I wake up and find joy in each day.  I think about where I've been, where I am now and where I want to be.

Happy Birthday to me.

I have had many amazing birthday celebrations with friends and family. My children always make me feel special. But I have to admit that my favorite birthday celebration was spent in Romania at a Mardi Gras theme party. I was there on a medical mission trip.  My interpreters surprised me with a cake and sang me happy birthday in both English and Romanian.  It was very touching.  I was thanked for choosing to be with them instead of with my own children on my special day.  And they made it very special.  In the pictures I have included, you can see that it was a great party that just happened to fall on my birthday.  In the last picture we are a little wet. You see it rained on us on the way back to the hotel. Instead of being upset or complaining the rain had ruined our party, we stopped at a late night restaurant for a bite to eat. We all laughed about being drenched and continued to have a good time.  Never let the rain ruin your day.  There is a rainbow on the other side.

The celebration continued after running in the rain

Since I am discussing age, I should also discuss health as it relates to travelling.  Just a couple of pointers that will help you prepare for your trip and avoid the dreaded jet lag. The simplest place to start is to drink plenty of water and avoid caffeine. We've all heard this but when I take my own advice, it really does make a difference.  Another thing that really helps and may sound ridiculous is to wear support hose. When I go on my long trips where I am travelling for 2 days to get to my destination, I especially heed this warning.  From setting long distances, blood pools and there are risks for several circulatory issues such as swelling in the feet and legs and blood clots. If you are at any health risk for blood clots you might want to consider taking a low dose aspirin daily unless contraindicated with any health conditions or medications you are currently taking. If you are on a flight that is very lengthy, get up and move about every 1-2 hours, unless it is unsafe to do so. On over sees flights I have been known to do a little stretching and yoga in the aisle. (Keep in mind that you should discuss any lengthy travel with your primary care provider for any specific advice for you health issues.)

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Birthday Flowers from one of my beautiful interpreters, Alexandria