Happy Birthday to Me! – How I Spent My 40th Birthday

The whole reason for our two week tour through Bali was as a celebration to me for my 40th birthday. And while the whole trip was fantastic, I could also say that my actual birthday was my favorite birthday ever. And it wasn’t even perfect, but it came pretty close.

I woke up with my son coming into my bed and me noticing that he seem much warmer than usual. The night before he had fallen asleep at dinner, but I chalked that up to our long day out on the boat. But being warm sounded alarm bells, so I pulled out the thermometer I always travel with. 101.4 degree fahrenheit. Darn it, he had a fever.

I looked at my husband and wondered if we should cancel our day. But he was adamant we not. He said you want to have this day, you need it. So we went to breakfast and brought the Children’s Motrin with us. After breakfast, we settled into our beach chairs to enjoy some time at the beach. We made my son stay in the shade and my husband and I were keeping a close eye on my son. But as the Motrin kicked in and he felt better, he insisted on heading out into the water a bit.

When the Motrin kicked in, he joined me in the sun and water, but that didn’t last long*

My husband made sure I enjoyed my time. I had always said that on my birthday I wanted to be on the beach, with a drink in my hand, in a country I had never been to. Yes, it was still morning but that was no reason I couldn’t have a drink in my hand! We spent a couple of hours enjoying the sun and beach. My husband started to feel that my son was getting too much sun, so he took him back to the room for air conditioning and rest. My daughter and I stayed out and had a little snack before she headed back to the room. It was time for the next part of my day.

On the beach with a drink in my hand in a new country, my birthday wish come true*

My husband had worked with the staff and booked a set of treatments at a high end spa that the hotel contracted with. The car took me to Jamu Wellness Spa, where I was checked in and given a refreshing drink to relax. From then I had a series of treatments. First was a relaxing 60 minute full body Balinese massage. Then we moved on to a full body scrub, rubbing in an exfoliant that felt like all the dead skin was being taken off my body. After the scrub, I was taken to a private bathroom where I could rinse off the scrub in the shower, then immerse myself in a luxurious flower bath. The water was warm, the tub was so deep I could immerse my entire body, and the flowers gave off a sweet, relaxing scent as I sat in the water, almost falling asleep. After the chaos of the last few months, it was first time in a long time I felt truly relaxed. Finally, I still had one more treatment, a 30 minute facial, where my face was pampered with masks and moisturizers, so I came out with my skin glowing.

The beautiful flower bath I got to enjoy

After a relaxing drink, I decided to walk back to the hotel, since it wasn’t that far and I wanted to get a snack on the way. I enjoyed looking at the people walking by, window shopping the stores, and enjoying the feeling of relaxation I was getting on this adventure. I came back to the hotel and entered the room cautiously. The kids were watching their phones and ran over to hug me. They had taken a nap while I was gone, and had prepared a surprise. They presented me with hand picked out presents and a beautiful card. They were so excited and it really warmed my heart to see what they picked out for me.

Around 5 pm there was a knock on the door. It was the hotel staff. Knowing it was my birthday, they brought a beautiful flower arrangement and a chocolate cake for the family to share. The kids sang happy birthday, we took pictures, and everyone got to eat some cake.

The flowers and the cake the hotel brought me made my day extra special

Finally it was time for dinner. Our Destination Asia guide had recommended Massimo’s Italian. We got a taxi to drive us to the restaurant started by an Italian chef here in Bali. Here we ate one of the best meals we had in Bali, even though it wasn’t traditional Indonesian food. I normally don’t trust foreign restaurants in other countries, but this was one of the best Italian meals I’ve had. We had an amazing Prosecco with Parmesan cheese and fresh pasta dishes. And it’s not a birthday without dessert. Everyone had a little something to finish off the night.

The dinner was magnificent, one of my best meals in Bali

We took a taxi back to the hotel, and then settled the kids into bed. They were asking if I enjoyed my birthday. I told them that they had help make it the best birthday day I ever had. And I truly meant it. I got to indulge in activities I love. I got to spend time with my kids. I got to eat amazing food. I got to see how much my kids enjoyed picking something out for me. I got to spend time with my wonderful family. I know that everyone isn’t this lucky. I understand how blessed I am. And I just wish that everyone gets to have the perfect day like I did. May every birthday be this great.