Many of us have mixed feelings when making the change from the 20s to the 30s, and originally I was very excited to plan my 30th birthday. Already in 2014 when I was still living in Bangkok I was making plans on how to celebrate my 30th (even though it was 2 years away). I had this idea of inviting my closest friends and family over to Thailand and perhaps booking a small boutique resort for a weekend.
Already in September (2015) my family started asking me what I wanted to do for my 30th birthday in January, and to be honest that’s when I realized my plans were not feasible anymore and my disappointment was increasing. I started pushing the thought of my birthday aside, and I didn’t want to talk about it.
In November, whilst I was in Freiburg, my friend Danilo’s mother came to visit me and mentioned that they will be in Morocco in January. I then had the idea to spend my birthday in Marrakech, just with my family and my “second family” giving me the opportunity to escape from Germany and any forced party planning. Due to my health situation and the various surgeries before Christmas and in the new-year this wasn’t feasible and I accepted the fact that I would remain in Stuttgart. At some point I realized that something was going on and my family was planning a “surprise” but I had no clue what it was.
Looking back now, I have to admit that I didn’t make it easy for them, as I was extremely moody, irritable and anyone who would mention my birthday I would literally send them to hell. I feel bad today for having been such an asshole and that my family had to put up with me in my most depressive of moments.
Touched with tears on my arrival
On Saturday 16 January 2016, my parents and brother told me we would be heading for dinner together, and because my birthday is only on the 17th I already guessed that it would be to celebrate into my birth date. Since I hadn’t heard from my best friend Becci for a while (which I found strange that she would not be coming to Stuttgart for that weekend), I sort of knew she would be meeting us for dinner and perhaps a few other friends. When we reached the restaurant location I noticed light and filled tables on one side, and I thought one of those tables would be part of us. However, we walked into the other side of the restaurant, which is a large wine warehouse where the lights were off and many tables were set. The moment we walked in, the sound of my favorite summer song “Reality” by Lost Frequencies played up and from behind a wall slowly one by one all my guests emerged. The first person I saw was my cousin Matteo, followed by my other cousin Simone, followed by the Italian boys that came all the way from Italy, my entire old tennis team, college friends, my dear friend Chris who came from France, Blanca coming from Zurich, my godfather with family, my oncologist doctor, neighbors and so on. I was totally overwhelmed from this sight and to be honest I don’t even know how to describe my emotions. I just remember that I had tears in my eyes because this wasn’t something I have had expected and it made me realize that all those people (family and friends) are all that count in life.
Everyone singing the song “Reality” upon my arrival
You can have everything in life: money, a good job, a prestigious lifestyle, a partner … but if you don’t have family and friends that you can count on then you don’t have anything. All the first aspects I have mentioned are things that can change: a job and a partner can change, a financial situation can change, and in turn all these can impact your lifestyle. But if you cultivate a friendship and appreciate the moral support from your family, you have everything that really counts, and the rest is up to you to make the difference.
You may ask yourself why I mention this? I was so fixated in my mind on the shameful feeling that I was turning 30 and was living back at home with my parents, and I no longer had an independent life. Don’t get me wrong, it was the best decision to take to go back to Germany for my treatments as nowhere else would I have gotten the support from my parents during the past 1,5 years. Nevertheless, it took me a long time to accept living back at home, in my old room and being financially dependent on my parents again.
That moment when I had all my friends in front of me, I realized how stupid and stubborn I had been in the past weeks and I had not reason to fear my 30th birthday. In fact, I don’t feel any different than before and this whole thing is totally overrated except for the fact that celebrating your 30th birthday is something special and should not be missed.
The evening turned out to be fantastic, and I appreciated every single moment. However, I wasn’t able to spend enough time with all my 55 guests. We had a great Italian food buffet, my brother was in charge of the music, and Becci and my Mum organized the entire evening. In between the main course and dessert, my mum held a Powerpoint presentation introducing all my guests with pictures and funny stories about my friendship with them. Afterwards, they arranged a donation collection for PP Prasai Foundation, a charity foundation developing and promoting the education and tourism sector of Nepal while serving the people in need. In return, everyone who gave a donation received a “prosecco tin” printed with a picture of me. On this note, I need thank Catharina who developed and got the tins printed and as well to all my guests who made a donation supporting PP Prasai Foundation. We got a fair amount together! More information can be found at: http://www.ppprasaifoundation.com/ .
Midnight birthday cake
At midnight, 17th January 2016, we finally officially celebrated my birthday with a tasty birthday cake and Champagne. The night continued with lots of dancing, nostalgic moments and chats. I never thought I would last this long, but the evening ended only at 4:30am in the morning. It was indeed an amazing evening! My only disappointment was that I wasn’t able to wear my prosthetic leg due to the stiches as I still had to check on my butt cheek, and hence had to use my crutches all the time and I wasn’t able to enjoy the dancing as much as I would have liked. Anyway, it was something minor and unimportant and I am still so proud to have such amazing friends that made this night so memorable and possible.
One highlight was a video compilation with birthday wishes from friends all around the world who were not able to travel and participate in the party. I received the most touching, funny and creative video messages. I am so thankful for every one for finding the time and sending them to Becci who compiled all of them.
Again, words can’t really describe my feelings on that evening nor illustrate those moments. For that reason, I am creating a gallery with the best birthday pics of that evening, as well videos including the surprise moment when I arrived at the location and being overwhelmed by all those people. Those shall be uploaded soon… will keep you updated! 🙂