Today it’s my birthday and I’m 29!
As you read this, I will be celebrating with my parents who arrived from London on Sunday. I am currently on my 2 week winter holidays from work and my parents are here for three whole weeks, so exciting! Tomorrow we head down to Torres del Paine in Patagonia for 5 days and I can’t wait, it’s going to be a pure winter wonderland and I am so happy that I get to see it with my mum and dad.
It’s hard to believe that I am now in the last year of my 20s, the decade that has been full of adventure and change. I turned 20 when I was in Nepal in 2008 during the summer holidays from uni. Little did I know at the time, that that would be the start of a decade in which I would become obsessed with travel. I guess I started as I meant to go on, not that I knew it at the time.
20 :: Spent with my fellow volunteers in the picturesque village of Dhulikhel, Nepal. We celebrated by playing card games and musical chairs, the most low key of birthdays!
21 :: I had just graduated uni and spent it with my friends. These photos were forever lost as even though they had been backed up several times on my backup drive… technology failed me and lost them.
22 :: I got back from South America a few days before turning 22. It was the trip that changed my life, not only because it really was the trip of a lifetime but also because it was the trip in which I met Carlos, 2 months before turning 22. I then moved to Chile a few months later.
23 :: I spent birthday number 23 in Santiago, Chile in my very first winter birthday. I was working as an English teacher and teaching adults and children. It was my very first winter birthday and I remember celebrating with Indian food and hot chocolate. A month later, Carlos and I moved back to England. He started his PhD and I started to train to become a teacher.
24 :: I had just graduated from my teacher training in London and I moved to Birmingham to live with Carlos. It was the first time we officially lived together and I was ready to start my first teaching job.
25 :: I was teaching in Birmingham with my very own class. I came back to London to celebrate with my best friends.
26 :: I was teaching in Birmingham and we came to London to celebrate my birthday… and also tell my family we were engaged (hence the Prosecco and the happiest of faces!) We then kept it a secret from everyone until we flew to Chile in November to tell Carlos’ family in person… the hardest secret to keep for 4 months!
27 :: I was teaching in London and was getting ready to pack up our lives and move to Santiago a few months later. This was an amazing white chocolate cake from my parents.
28 :: I was living in Santiago, Chile and was on my two week winter holiday from work where I flew home to London and celebrated with friends and family by eating lots of Indian food, my favourite.
29, I’m ready! 😀
Lots of love,
Marcella xx
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WhatAWonderfulWorld 
Happy Birthday Marcella. What a great way to remember the last decade of birthdays. 😉🎉🎈🍾
Thank you! It’s crazy how years can just fly by! Have a nice day 🙂
Sure is crazy.
You too. 😊
happy 29!:)
Thanks Tanja!
Happy Birthday!! Have a wonderful time with your family!! #CityTripping
Thanks! Just waiting at the airport to fly to Patagonia now 🙂
oh sorry, meant #WanderfulWednesday
😉
Happy birthday!
Thanks Claire! 🙂
Happy birthday! What a lot has happened in a decade. It’s quite something to look back at it all! I hope you have a great day celebrating (even though it’s winter 😮 )
Thanks Rachel, it’ll definitely feel like winter in Patagonia! However, it was hotter in Santiago than London yesterday haha (you’ve got to love British summer!)
What a happy decade! Happy birthday, pretty girl. All the best! xx
Thanks my lovely Isabel! X
Aww – happy birthday! What lovely memories 🙂
Thanks, it’s always fun to look back 🙂
Happy birthday Marcella! What a lovely photo collection. Enjoy your celebration – it sounds fantastic 🙂
Thanks Jessi! 🙂 Waiting to fly to Patagonia now, eee.
Happy birthday Marcella! Hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with your loved ones!!
Thanks so much Nano!
Well, happy Birthday!! I had my first baby at 29 LOL and could say the same about my 20th decade and now my 30th decade. Life is fast and short. Have a great time with your parents.
Well, I should’ve said 2nd decade and 3rd decade hahaha but you know what I meant.
Thanks Amanda! Life is always so fast!
Happy Birthday Marcella! Here’s to an amazing last year in your 20’s! Have a great time with your parents in town! 🙂
Thanks Christine, sometimes I still think I’m 18, haha! Can’t wait to tell you all about the Patagonia trip.
Happiest of birthdays to you! You’ve had such a fun filled decade of traveling, and I bet that you’re 30’s will be even better! I can’t believe that y’all kept your engagement secret for 4 whole months! I don’t think that I would have been able to do that!
Thanks Ashley! 🙂 Hehe, it was tough but worth it in the end to tell Carlos’ family in person.
Happy birthday!! So nice that your parents were able to come down and visit!!
Thank you!! And yes, I’m very lucky 🙂
Happy birthday!!! Have an amazing time. Sounds like you will. Kinda impressive you remember all your birthdays almost 10 years back. I remember only a couple.
Thanks Mani! I had to think hard and link it to where I was living at the time 🙂
Happy Birthday Marcella! Enjoy your day!
Thanks so much Urska!
Congratulations! Have a wonderful time with your family.
Thanks so much Ruth!
Happy belated birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day!! And wow, your 20s were full of adventure for sure 🙂 Here’s to making that last year a one to remember too! 🙂
Thank you, Van! It sure has been full of adventures 🙂 Let’s see what 29 has in store!
Aw what a lovely post! Happy birthday! 🙂 xx
Thanks Camila! 😀
What an incredible “almost decade” you’ve had! So many amazing birthdays in so many amazing places! You’ve really set some milestones and made huge moves almost every year! I’ve had so much fun following along on your adventures the past few years and can’t wait to continue! 🙂
Thanks Lauren! 🙂 Here’s to the years to come 🙂
I hope you had a great visit with your parents!! (I feel like I’m really behind.) I love your newly engaged glow (both of you!) at 26!! You’ve certainly had all kinds of adventures in your 20s! Cheers to another year of adventures!