Most people think of me as a solo traveler. But on this trip to Ixtapan I’ve been in the company of eight friends.
Five of us were born in 1951 and are celebrating our 75th birthday this year. Trust me, that number is a shock to all of us. But if you were born in 1951 and keep having birthdays, this is what happens.
Our other four friends are our birthday support team.
My friend Vicki and I decided the occasion required appropriate attire and found the perfect T-shirts. They proclaimed us “Vintage, Made in 1951,” “All Original,” “Perfectly Aged,” and, my personal favorite, “Living Legend.” It occurred to me that I can wear the same shirt when I’m 80, 90 or if I’m really lucky, 100. Our support team had shirts that read “Birthday Squad.”
We all wore our T-shirts for drinks and dinner, which amused both us and everyone around us. Over drinks we played a game of trivia for those born in 1951, we had a great laugh over what we did and did not remember.
Our dinner table was beautifully decorated by the staff with flowers, leaves, and pinecones from the property. It was beautiful and made the evening feel especially festive. Then, just when we thought we were finished, out came a gorgeous chocolate birthday cake.
I’ve loved spending this week with old friends, laughing, celebrating, and collectively trying to figure out how we could possibly be turning seventy-five.
And this is only the beginning of MY birthday season. My actual birthday isn’t until October.