Turning 30 didn't hurt

I've been a little late with updating the blog, I'm sorry! I promised to come back and tell you about my 30th birthday weekend, but I got caught up - as usual. If you expected me to be back so soon to post, you really should know me better than that by now ;)

So, on May 28th I turned 30. I've been anxious about that for a while and as the day grew near I was feeling worse. But I had arranged to go over to spend the day with my parents and to have a small birthday party for some of my friends and family on the 29th. Actually I had decided to let it slip by in silence, but I decided that there might be a point in making it a memorable day. That way I would connect turning 30 with something fun and pleasurable, rather than it being a tough bite to swallow.

Johan picked me up from work on the 27th and we set off to Århus, so I'd be there for my actual birthday and not just for the party on the 29th. We drove for about 4 hours and when we arrived both my mum and my dad were home. We sat down and my mum got me a cold Pepsi Max and we talked about my day at work. Suddenly I heard my sister's voice. She was coming up the stairs, singing a silly song she and I started singing on each others' birthdays years ago. For a second I stopped breathing. You see, she wasn't supposed to be there. My sister lives in Wales and for her to be there ... well that just wasn't possible. My initial reaction was total surprise - then I started crying like a baby! I hugged my little sister so tight for ages and just couldn't believe she was there. But she was! My parents and her had been planning this all along. It was by far probably the most amazing thing they could ever do for me. Little did I know, they had more things up their sleeves...

On the 28th my family - mum, dad, little sister and Johan - woke me up with the traditional Danish birthday song and breakfast. On the table were so many presents, I couldn't even believe it. I had already gotten an amazing gift since my sister was there, but my parents had more in store for me. The first present I opened was from them and once again they surprised me beyond compare. They had bought me a Nikon D3000 - and it was beautiful. I couldn't believe it! It has been such a big dream for me to have a real SLR camera and now I do thanks to my amazing parents, who made the dream come true. My sister bought me a cute charm for my Pandora bracelet, a tiny little silver Nemo (you know, Finding Nemo, Nemo) and a box of my favourite chocolates and sweets that I normally get when we visit them in Wales. I absolutely love Finding Nemo, so for her to find that - well that just proves how well my dear sister knows me. Johan bought me a huge Hello Kitty, which is like a mixture between a pillow and a softie and I love it! He also did something so sweet and thoughtful: he got his friend Kalle to buy all sorts of different Hello Kitty things while he was in Japan. I had been rambling about Hello Kitty chopsticks, because I saw a TV programme where a little girl bought a lunchset with Hello Kitty chopsticks, and Johan remembered that and got Kalle to find them for me. Such an awesome and thoughtful gift. I was completely overwhelmed.

The rest of my birthday was spent in Århus city centre and out and about. We had a mission that day: to get the fabric for my wedding dress. And we did (pssst, check my previous post ;) ). We had a lot to prepare for the party the following day and so we spent most of the day getting things ready. It was by far the best birthday I can recall in all my life - and I mean that, seriously.

On the 29th we had the birthday party. It was a great day spent with family and friends. I was so happy to get to spend some time with Marianne and Morten, who I just don't get to see enough. There were many guests, including my in-laws, who came all the way to Århus to celebrate me. It was a wonderful day, which I can't imagine I would have wanted any other way. I received many lovely gifts and I'm so grateful for that.

On the 30th we headed on home. Johan and I had to drop K off at the airport on our way back. I'm always sad to say goodbye to my family and so it turned out to be a very emotional day. Not only because I had to say goodbye, but also because I had an amazing time, where all my anxiety about turning 30 just vanished and it became such a memorable weekend, which I will never forget and forever cherish. I owe my family and friends all my gratitude for what they have done for me.

Much love to you all from a 30-year-old D with a smile on her face.