Yesterday I celebrated my 29th birthday in Varna Bulgaria! Pretty cool huh?! Well it was a good day but not the easiest. It apparently only takes a birthday to make me realize how much I already miss being home! It hasn’t even been a whole month yet so it may be a long year at this rate.
I missed all the sweet phone calls! Even the 6 am wake up ones!! This year I even missed the sarcastic remarks… WOW your almost 30!! Most of all I missed spending time with my family. My family does birthdays really well. There is always birthday dinner at my favorite place, Ricatoni’s. Then birthday lunch after church at my grandparents house. I missed all the jokes and laughs. But most of all I just missed them!
But in the midst of the realization that my traditional birthday isn’t going to happen I got to experience the joys of community. My sweet team gathered around me and loved on me. We went for lunch and then went to see a movie. First thing in the morning everyone wished me a happy birthday and sweet Meggie made me a birthday card! Daniel made me cry with his homemade birthday card because he knows he has to get me a card or its not ok! The girls spoiled me with buying me jewelry! Then to top it off Daniel and I had supper on The Black Sea at sunset! Sounds like an amazing birthday right?! Well it was. I’m truly blessed to be surrounded by sweet caring people! We are slowly but surely becoming a family and I’m so thankful they were here to love and support me. I can’t wait to do the same to them!
Yesterday truly made me see community and loving on the people around you in a new light. My teammates probably have no idea how much their love and support meant to me yesterday. This made me realize how much our actions can influence those around you!! Always be kind even when you don’t feel like it! Try to smile and show love to those around you! You never know what people are going through and just kind gestures can brighten their day!
Photo-booth fun!
