Day 126! Today was such an amazing day. I got to spend it hanging out with my amazing cousins, some friends I had met in Bangkok, and my friend Aaron who I met last year on this island! Aaron and his girlfriend, Chira, ended up making this birthday extremely special but you’ll have to read on to find out why!

Well, today’s the big day! I woke up today a year older. Interesting coincidence that I turned 26 on day 126!

I started my first birthday abroad with a wonderful FaceTime with my Bubbie and Zeidie (my grandparents). They sang a beautiful rendition of happy birthday and it was the perfect way to kickstart my day!

The singing wasn’t over yet! I then immediately had a FaceTime with my family and listened to them try and sing together over FaceTime. This has become a birthday tradition of ours since we’re all across the US… and the world now. It’s very silly and very sweet.

And just before we set out for breakfast, I received one more call from my aunt and uncle! They too sang a beautiful happy birthday and I felt very very loved. A really nice way to start the day!

Ben, Mina, Sam, and I went into town to search for food… however, most things were not open still!

So we ended up wandering out onto the beach where we were met with a beautiful blue sea!

After walking down the beach, we found a restaurant open that was a little bit on the pricy side, for at least what I would pay for breakfast. But my cousins ended up paying as a birthday treat (the birthday treats didn’t stop there)!

While we waited for our food, I ran down the steps and flung myself into the water. I had missed the beach so much and I was very excited to be back by the sea.

Conveniently, we ate with a right next to the beach. So we didn’t have to go far when we finished.

It was time to relax and enjoy being on an island paradise!

As we stepped into the water, Ben, Mina, and Sam could not get over how warm the water was! In Sam’s words, “I’ve never been into an ocean before that didn’t give me a shock to get in to.”

We spent a while floating around in the shallow water, soaking up the sun, and just all around enjoying ourselves.

This beach is the one used for the full moon party. And since there’s no full moon currently, the beach is very quiet and peaceful. But we had to take a picture with the tourist sign, because we do ❤️ Koh Phangan.

After a while of relaxing, I busted out the Da Cau. Ben, Sam, and I played for a while and tried our best… but it’s really hard! Especially with the wind.

We had spent a long time out on the beach, so we decided to head back and clean up for lunch.

Sam and Mina decided to hang out by the pool and Ben and I went out to find food.

We didn’t have to go far, as we found a restaurant that looked good just outside of our bungalow!

After enjoying our feast, we walked around the stores for a bit around the beach.

We ended up grabbing a few drinks from 7-eleven and headed back to our bungalow to join Sam and Mina.

We sat around in the AC for a bit and took some naps. Even with lathering on sunscreen… we all got very burnt. Rest was very much needed.

But after we all got up and ready, we walked back down the road for dinner!

My friend Aaron had invited us over to his girlfriend’s bar to enjoy a family style dinner with him, Chira (his girlfriend), Chira’s family, and a couple of their Chira’s friends.

It was an absolute feast! Chira cooked us a ton of food. She made shrimp, fried chicken, oysters, vegi spring rolls, and squid. Along with some spicy sauces and lettuce wraps to go with it. And on top of that, Aaron wouldn’t let us pay for anything… so in exchange, we bought drinks from Chira’s shop all night.

I was already feeling very emotional and overwhelmed by all the kindness and how amazing the day and night had already been. But to top it off, Chira and Aaron brought out a cake and everyone sang happy birthday. This was easily topping off one of the best birthdays I had ever had.

The cake even had my name on it in Thai! Also, it had been a while since I had had cake, and this one was pretty dang good!.

While we were eating, Chira’s granddaughter, a 3 year old, was running around. And when the cake came out, she brought me over some bunny ears to wear the rest of the night… I couldn’t say no to a 3 year old, so I obliged.

As we were finishing up at the bar, Miri and Joya came walking down the street! We had plans to meet up with them later, but they randomly found us!

We grabbed a couple drinks with them at the bar before all heading back to our bungalow to get ready for the night of partying.

I gave Aaron and Chira some of the biggest hugs before I left. They really made my night special and I could not have asked for a better way to celebrate my birthday in Thailand! Just incredible.

We all decided to walk to a “light house party” about 30 minutes away. The walk was insanely steep and when we got there… there weren’t many people. So we ended up hanging around for a beer, chatting for a bit, and then making the hike back to the bungalow for some much needed sleep.

I don’t think words can express just how amazing of a birthday this was. I really didn’t know what to expect with a birthday abroad, but I ended up being surrounded by family, new friends, and old friends. It truly was a birthday for the books!

But it’s not time to get too sentimental, as I have a few more days to enjoy with my cousins!

– Elie