Birthday Weekend in Rome
January 8, 2019
I turned 47 on January 5 and I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge some truths about the past year.
Last year, I had an “intimate” birthday celebration with some of my dearest friends, many of whom traveled a long way to be with me. Theresa drove all the way from North Carolina, Dorothy, Tom, and Hope came up from Charlottesville, and Jessie had plans to come from Charleston, but her flight was canceled because of ice. We got all dressed up for a big night of caviar, champagne, and music, and the celebration was meant to continue the following weekend in Palm Springs when Tom and I were going to jointly celebrate our birthdays in a fabulous house with a pool.
Things didn’t go exactly as planned.
We drank approximately nine bottles of Veuve Clicquot which combined with some prescription medication I was taking at the time, (check your medication labels and follow instructions, kids) setting off a chain reaction in my body that would land me in the ER with jaundice, my best friend set her hair on fire in the bathroom and we had to break the door down to rescue her, and my dog broke Dorothy’s hip. After I threw up in a water feature in Palm Springs and my eyeballs turned yellow I decided it was time to make some life changes. This month marks the one-year anniversary since I decided to stop drinking alcohol.
This year, I feel happier, healthier, and more at peace than I have in a very long time. My birthday this year was a celebration of all the wonderful things in my life.
My friend Christine had a business trip in Rome and asked me if I’d like to meet her over there, and since it also happened to be my birthday weekend, how could I say no?
Friday night I celebrated at home with James and James Wilson. We went to Foodhallen for dinner, then had cake and presents.
Saturday morning I flew to Rome and met Christine. She booked us a walking tour with a local lady, and we had a lovely 3-hour stroll through the markets and side streets of Rome.
