As the day was approaching, the trajectory seemed to be pointing to old templates (full circle (part 6)). Yet something always held me back on booking a solo trip to a remote island in Thailand that was probably meant more for couples. A chance encounter with someone on OKCupid, whom I will never meet, reminded me of a bucket list item...visiting Italy under different circumstances than the last (stamp collection).
Following my bliss led me to an amazing villa off the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast with 14 other people, of whom I only knew 3 who had been friends for decades, to celebrate a stranger's 50th birthday. Oddly, circumstances resulted in celebrations of my birthday (day before and day of) surrounded only by new friends and strangers that I had known less than a week but all made me feel like family. While my villa companions kept asking me what I wanted to do on my big day, I was hesitant to take away from the semi-centennial week of the birthday girl.
Almost bringing me to tears of joy, the new friends surprised me with a birthday celebration at the Fire One beach club the day before, with the candled dessert and prosecco popping being brought out by someone who ended up being a bigger part of the birthday celebrations. Thinking it was for someone else, as someone pointed me to turn around, I was amazed to see the entire beach club, with a few even heading towards our table, sing, clap and join in the celebration. Italians lined up to give me double kisses for my birthday.
A smaller group took a smaller boat around the day off, kicking it off with prosecco popping in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Gennaro (or Franchino as the locals call him) showed us the best grottos, waterfalls and swim holes, of which some are only known by the locals. We ended the afternoon at the Fire One beach club again, where the man from the day before showed me a natural piscina that Nature had created in a grotto. As Franchino stated, "If a local offers to show you, you must take him up on it as it is an honor, for the locals do not share their natural wonder to others."
As the other birthday girl exclaimed when we ended the day of my birthday, "If I die today, this is the best day of my life." I will have to agree, the day left me in awe. The night ended with a motorcycle ride with a local through the curvey roads along the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast. With the strength and control in his body as he cornered the turns at a high speed, and the cool breeze and ocean perfume assailing my senses, for a brief moment I closed my eyes and thought, "This is my life!"
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