But neither the time nor miles seemed to matter. I reconnected with many friends and family and we picked up where we had left off, so to speak, and caught up on all our misadventures. When we weren’t swapping stories, the best part was to just be — like old times.
It’s hard to believe that the big 2-5 is the only birthday I’ll celebrate with my family in five years. I spent the last two birthdays in Chile and will be in Gambia for the next two. I feel so lucky to have celebrated this milestone with my family in one of the world’s most beautiful places.
With just 7 hours in Panama City, I toured the capital’s colonial neighborhood, new town, and of course, the world-renowned canal.
For my mom’s big 5-0 birthday, we all wanted to celebrate together in a special place none of us had been. We decided to go “somewhere in the middle” and found ourselves in the paradise of Costa Rica where the season is always summer.
And thanks to modern technology, I got the best of both worlds — Christmas at the beach and time with my family who was on another continent.
