I spent a decade taking annual trips to celebrate my birthday. Once I turned 40, I knew the tradition had to end.
A woman reflects on her decade-long tradition of taking annual solo or group trips to celebrate her birthday. Upon turning 40, she realizes that limiting travel to once a year is no longer sufficient and decides to integrate exploration into her daily life.
Why it matters
It highlights shifting lifestyle priorities and the evolution of personal traditions as individuals reach middle age.
Traveling for my birthday helped me realize I wanted to spend more of my time exploring the world. Hannah Wesley From age 30 through 40, I took a trip every year to celebrate my birthday. Then, on my 40th birthday trip , I decided that one trip a year was no longer enough. I wanted more. I've found ways to make travel a big, sustainable part of my life that's not limited to birthdays. My sister and I spent a week in Santorini to celebrate my 30th birthday. Somehow, that turned into a sacred tradition and, for the next decade, I took a trip for my birthday each year. I rang in one birthday by road-tripping from Seattle to San Diego in a Mustang convertible and another touring castles and distilleries in Scotland with a friend.
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