30

I have arrived at 30 but not without kicking and screaming through my last night of 29.  I cried walking the dog, folding laundry, painting my nails, eating Thai, watching Masterchef and then after my fourth glass of wine I finally just fell asleep watching a movie with my Aussie.  He handled it very well.  He let me get it all out but was supportive as well.  He didn't feed me any of those bullshit cliche lines like "age is nothing but a number".  It was very therapeutic.

I woke up today with no wine headache and feeling cleansed.  Bailey was snuggled up on my feet.  My Aussie offered to walk him so I didn't have to get up so early.  I took a nice long shower, got ready for work and then walked out of the bathroom to a nice little birthday surprise waiting on my dresser.  My Aussie gave me a pair of beautiful light green amethyst earrings to match the ring he gave me on our anniversary and tickets to see Modest Mouse on July 25th.  And we are also going away for the weekend to stay at Pepper's Anchorage in Nelson's Bay.  We leave tonight after work and won't return until Sunday afternoon.  I'm so excited.  It will be our first holiday away together since I moved here and a much needed break for both of us. 

Nelson's Bay is about 2 1/2 hours away from Sydney and it backs up to Tomaree National Park.  We haven't made any definite plans yet but I'm looking forward to hiking through the park, maybe taking a whale watching tour and definitely eating some great food.  We're booked in Saturday night at Merretts, the hotel's restaurant, for the Degustation Menu (fancy talk for tasting menu) which is eight courses and I cannot wait.  The last tasting menu I experienced was at Blue Hill in Manhattan and it was my Aussie's going-away dinner.  This dinner will be a much happier occasion.

I know why I was so upset last night.  I miss my friends and my family so much.  I know exactly how I would have celebrated if I were still in New York.  But my Aussie made a beautiful point, that his family, my Australian family, love me very much and he loves me fiercely as well.  They are all thrilled that I am here and are my support system until my own family can visit.  I know if my friends could be here they would be.  And I knew it would be this way when I decided to move here.  It just means that when my loved ones do come to Sydney, we are going to have one heck of an awesome time squeezing in all of these holidays and birthdays that we were apart for.

So cheers to my first day of 30- may it be the beginning of an exciting and wonderful decade, filled with lots of love, travel and minimal injuries!!!