Celebrating a Birthday Abroad – Benefits of Traveling For Your Birthday
I have always enjoyed birthdays and try to celebrate mine every year by doing something special. But, it wasn’t until I traveled overseas a few years ago on my birthday that I truly understood how special traveling for your birthday could be. Celebrating a birthday abroad can be a fantastic experience to have in one’s life. If you are planning a birthday getaway, here are some benefits of traveling for your birthday and celebrating your birthday abroad.
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Exploring New Places
One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is the chance to explore someplace new. Taking a trip on your birthday to a new, exotic, or different country can be a life-changing experience. My recommendation is to pick somewhere that is on your bucket list and then just go for it.
My first birthday adventure was during my two week trip to England and Scotland. I spent my birthday that year in the highlands exploring Inverness. I did everything I wanted to do on my own time table and enjoyed every minute. Visiting Culloden Moor was a wish of mine ever since I started reading the Outlander books and watching the TV series. Walking around the field where the battle was fought was a serene experience, and what made it even more special was hearing bagpipes playing in the distance. Indeed a beautiful birthday moment for me.
Gaining Memories instead of Gifts
Gifts will always come and go, but it is memories that stay with you the longest. Looking back over the years, there are hardly any specific birthday gifts that I can remember. I’m sure they were fabulous and important at the time, but as time passes, so does the importance of those gifts. The one thing that does stick in my memories is the activities I did on these birthdays. Exploring medieval castles or churches, going on a hike, or even taking a tour are just a few of the activities you can do on your birthday while traveling.
One such memory is me trying to go through the standing stones at Clava Cairns. As I mentioned earlier, that I love Outlander, and as such, while in the highlands being my birthday, I wanted to try it. If there were ever a time for the standing stones to work and allow me to go back in time to find my own Highlander, it would be on my birthday. Or at least that is what I hoped. Nope! I did try, though. As it was my birthday, it is perfectly acceptable to look and act goofy on your day!
It is ok to be Selfish for the Day
As it is your day, you are entitled to enjoy it to your fullest. And if that means being a princess or queen for the day and expecting to be treated as such, go for it! This is your day, and I have also been known to enjoy my birthday week to even my birthday month. It does depend on which birthday it is and how much I want to milk it! Go and get pampered at a spa or take yourself out to a fancy dinner. You get to decide what and where you want to eat, what activity you want to partake in on your day, and who you want to spend it with. Whatever it is that you want to do, don’t stop yourself from doing it. Go and enjoy your day! You deserve it. One of the special moments I had was seeing Heather (flower in Scotland) on my birthday. It only blooms for a short time, and I was glad to see it on my day.
Meeting Up With Friends
Meeting up with friends in different places around the world for your birthday can be just as rewarding as celebrating and exploring on your own. It is a small world, and you might know more people than you think that are living overseas. They might even be willing to meet you in a new place and celebrate with you. Let your friends know that you might be thinking of celebrating your birthday abroad and where that might be, and you might have some takers to come to join you on your adventure.
I did just that when I mentioned to my friend, Michelle, that I was going to go to Strasbourg, France this past year for my birthday. Michelle and her family decided to come and join me. We had a wonderful birthday weekend exploring this picturesque town and eating all the delicious food we could find. It was truly a spectacular birthday weekend, and to top it off, they even got me a cake.
Experiencing Something New and Unexpected Surprises
Experiencing something new is one of the things I live by, as I’m always trying to expand my knowledge. This year while celebrating my birthday in Strasbourg, I went to my first European concert. I got tickets for my friend Michelle and I to see Lindsey Stirling at the Zenith. Little did I know that I would be getting sung Happy Birthday by a stadium full of French people. Okay, it wasn’t to me exactly as Lindsey and I share the same birthday. But, having thousands of people sing Happy Birthday on your actual day is an amazing experience to have.
Celebrating your birthday doesn’t have to be something you look forward to with dread. Switch it up and book a trip overseas for your day. Either alone or with friends, having a day in a new country might be what you need to kick off the next year with a positive attitude. Birthdays can be just another day for some people, but when you spend them abroad, they can be magical. And who doesn’t want a magical birthday!
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Further Reading
If you are coming to Europe for a visit to celebrate your birthday, check out these posts for further travel inspiration:
- The Ultimate 2-Week Itinerary to England & Scotland
- The Ultimate List of Things to Do in Dublin
- Vienna Travel Guide
- Things to Do in Monte Carlo
- Bratislava: The Most Underrated City in Europe
- Top 10 Surprising Things to Do in Strasbourg, France
[…] interesting and unique content that you should check out! I really loved her post about celebrating her birthday aboard! Very soon, that will be […]
For my wife’s birthday we went down the road for maybe 5 miles to enjoy the resort and spa we’d only had dinner at. Fabulous time with dinner, couples massage, and walk on the beach. But then again we’d just spent time on Japan, so we believe in travel too. Happy birthday Heather.
Thank you, Diane. That sounds like a perfectly wonderful way to spend a birthday!