Happy birthday to anyone born today, January 28!
I was going to write a post on how I’m celebrating my birthday with 11 friends (and 2 kids) in Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Mexico (for my full review of Palmaia, click here), but a curious thing happened.
In order for it to make sense, let me take you back to 1999.
In 1999, I decided to write down everything I did for the day. This is different from a journal or diary, because with a journal or diary, you write things when you feel emotionally charged, and you write about your thoughts or joys or frustrations or pains. You won’t necessarily write down what you did every day, and people tend to stop writing in a journal or diary at some point.
Since 1999, I have written down literally *everything* I did on a calendar day, so essentially, every day of the past 21 years of my life have been documented. This is pretty interesting, because if I can’t remember who I saw a movie with, I have my notes I can refer to. If I can’t remember what hotel I had an amazing massage on, say, March 20, 2003, I can go back to my notes. I rarely go through my notes (which I call “dailies”), but when I do, it’s fun to see who I dated in 2005, or the trips I went on in 2013, or the crazy nights I had in March 2009.
In the past few years, I got in the habit on going on these south-of-the-border, friends-filled trips—but it turns out I have been going away for a birthday trip with friends every year since I moved to New York City in 2002 (except for 2003 and 2010).
Take a look.
January 2003- NYC
January 2004- Miami
January 2005- Amsterdam
January 2006- Falkland Islands/Argentina
January 2007- Rome, Italy
January 2008- Atlantic City
January 2009- Santiago, Chile
January 2010- NYC
January 2011- San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
January 2012- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
January 2013- San Francisco, California
January 2014- Aspen, Colorado
January 2015- Punta Mita, Mexico
January 2016- Oslo, Norway
January 2017- Puerta Vallarta, Mexico
January 2018- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
January 2019- Philadelphia
January 2020- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Like every “daily” in the past 7,665 days I’ve documented, on January 28, I have recorded who I went with, what I did, and to a degree, how I felt. After looking back at every birthday vacation I’ve taken since 2003, the biggest takeaway is that I’ve been surrounded by friends… and I love to experience a different destination when I turn a year older.
That said, I’m incredibly grateful for the life that I have lived so far and the people I know. I have experienced some amazing cultures, beautiful attractions, true friendships and unforgettable birthdays. Travel is important to me, so it’s exciting to show my world to many friends when I can, and in a sense, these birthday trips are also celebrating travel.
Now, I’m excited to be in Playa del Carmen celebrating my big 42nd birthday with 11 friends, many that I have known for 15-25 years (in fact, with me are 2 friends I have known since I was 18, and one of them brought her 2 kids, so this trip has been incredibly special). We’re also celebrating my birthday at a brand-new property, Palmaia, The House of Aia, so there’s a lot to celebrate here. And, of course, we all know I love a good spa 🙂
If you have the opportunity to travel for a birthday vacation, I highly recommend taking it. You’ll reach a new level of excitement in a different location, and everyone will be in “vacation mode.” Traveling with friends is a great way to bond in a different way. Another plus: You sort of have two birthdays celebrated this way: one on your trip, and another with your other friends when you get back home.
If you’re planning a trip for your birthday, click this link or banner below to get the best airfare. Booking Buddy scours the top booking engines to get the cheapest flight, and it’s definitely worth it (they basically do all the work for you).
I’ll have a full report on Palmaia when I return. For now… shots! And a huge Happy Birthday to my fellow Aquarians who are also celebrating their birthday today!
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Please do! I’m a one-man team for this website, so any help is sincerely appreciated.
Travelbinger is now on YouTube! Subscribe here for exclusive travel tips and advice from founder Jimmy Im.
We’re also on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Happy travels!
Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed in over 600 hotels and has flown a million airmiles. He lives in New York City.