I turned another year older yesterday, no longer thirty but now officially in my thirties. The life of an expat can sometimes be emotionally confusing. We are given the opportunity to live in a gorgeous country such as Switzerland and experience so much while at the same time, feel homesick.  In the past year, I experienced things I would never have fathomed before embarking on this adventure with Bo. As Meghann and Derek learned this weekend, when staying with us, living here comes doesn’t come without a few bumps along the road. Regardless of those bumps, I am thankful for everything I experienced last year and for the amount I took from each experience.

Looking forward to this year, and my 31st birthday, Bo and my girlfriends asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday party and honestly, I had no idea. Last year Bo planned a huge birthday party complete with dinner and night of dancing. While that was a wonderful way to remind myself that the thirties can be just as fun as the twenties, it wasn’t the type celebration I wanted this year.

Bo knows me better than I know myself sometimes. He planned an evening for just the two of us last night, which included some of my favorite things.

After work,  we started the festivities at home with a small bottle of bubbly. 

We listened to Christmas music while decorating our small, fresh Swiss Christmas tree.

We enjoyed a delicious, homemade dinner including his seared scallops, one of my favorite foods. We paired the meal with a bottle of Rombauer, my favorite special -occasion chardonnay, which we brought back from the US during our last visit.

We laughed for hours while watching Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I’m not sure how I never watched this movie in its entirety before last night. 

We met new babies and caught up with friends and family via Facetime and phone.

Last but not least, I blew out the candles on a homemade cookie cake which Emily brought over.

Thirty-one, you’re looking pretty grand so far!