A Birthday

September 3. A date in which I got a little older. I walked to wherever I wanted to go. Switzerland. And I ate all the swiss chocolate I set eyes on. And I drank all the red wine I needed to get through.

The first night on this earth that I was officially old, ancient, decrepit, and 29, I found myself at Lake Zurich. A naked man fed a large bird with one hand in the air. Or maybe he's asking it to dance. I don't know. That, and the rest of last year pretty much sums up the cryptic and acutely dismal nature that life had to offer me that day. At least there was chocolate.

A phone call was supposed to be made, with badly off key singing. Then a belly laugh directly after. Then a conversation would ensue about what I was doing that day which would fascinate. For some reason this didn't happen. That makes sense to me about as much as a naked man feels the need to feed a giant pigeon in public. Don't forget the hand in the air. Instead, after a birthday dinner there was dessert with Bailey's Irish Cream mousse and fruit on the side. But conversations with the soulmate followed by the lifetime college friend is what helped the day go by.

Weeks later I found myself with a few days off and I decided to go to the country of Oman, just next door to the United Arab Emirates. The city is called Salalah. I stayed in a hotel that wasn't too bad, and woke up with a nice view every morning. I ate and drank and sat by the pool in the sun like some sort of movie star I can't think of, in a movie that I can't name.

I also had the opportunity to take a walk through the Red Light District of Amsterdam. The narrow labyrinth of pathways that winds through the refined canal system is fascinating, especially for the first time tourist. In the narrow streets I snapped a picture I shouldn't have.

Well, things could be worse. I may be old and decrepit, but at least I'm not the one in this window.

Now, we must see what October brings.

Bailey Sue