Happy Birthday to Me!
Erin: We celebrated my birthday in Ao Nang, a touristy beach area in southwestern Thailand. Coming from Malaysia, it was a bit of a shock to see throngs of westerners parading down the sidewalk in short skirts, tank tops, bikinis, etc with beer in hand. We felt more like we were in Honolulu!
Thailand is the first place we've been where it's high season and it took us a few hours of walking around in the midday heat with our packs to find a place to stay. We had decided to splurge a bit for my birthday and eventually, we discovered a great bungalow on the hillside with a balcony and views of the ocean. It didn't take long to relax into the pace of life here and we were soon enjoying cold beers and great Thai food.
We spent my birthday rotating between eating delicious food, reading on the beach, swimming, strolling and drinking fruity cocktails (like the Coco Mango ones in the picture above). When Seth asked what I wanted for my birthday, I told him I thought I'd like to get a massage. As afternoon rolled around, I knew it was a sign of a good birthday that I felt so relaxed I didn't even see the need to get one.