It’s my birthday and I’ll hide if I want to!

I love a good birthday. I like the build up, the meticulous planning of an outfit, the celebrations, and yes, of course, the gifts (giving and receiving!). And I’m not just talking about my own – although that is indeed the topic of this here self-centred blog – I love other people’s birthdays too!

But sometimes, I have the odd year out, where I just want my birthday to slide by unnoticed. And 2013 was one of those years.

It’s nothing to do with getting older. There’s no point in worrying about something that you literally, physically cannot change! But you see, in a place like Ibiza, where every day that ends in Y is a reason to party, when it comes to your own ‘special day’, sometimes the most appealing thing to do to celebrate is to retreat into your own bubble, hide from the world and just experience some good old fashioned peace and quiet.

Ohh, how I dreamed of it. I imagined a day off, lazing somewhere remote on a sunbed in my new Coco Safari bikini, with a bunch of magazines, a book and my iPod, hiding my face beneath my oversized Heidi Klein hat and sipping pure coconut water, starting off the next year of my life in the manner in which I intended to continue it.

Note: Just because I didn’t want to partake in birthday celebrations doesn’t mean I didn’t want to meticulously plan the outfit and, err, receive gifts!

But did it work out that way? No. It did not.

First of all, my birthday fell on one of my busiest days of the week, and a day in which I had committed to also working a double shift. There goes relaxing!

Then came the Facebook message. And let me add at this point that I had deactivated my birthdate on Facebook so no one would know. ‘Happy birthday Miss W!’ It said in all its simple, honest, well-wishing glory… and then came a barrage of wishes. Every friend, family member, acquaintance, client and even their babies and cats started wishing me happy birthday, all on the basis of someone else’s comments.

Who knew social media was indeed that powerful (and that so many people paid attention to MY wall!)! Despite wanting to keep my birthday under wraps, I secretly felt quite chuffed to be feeling all that birthday love.

Next up came the (and I say this with love) well-meaning yet pestering friends. ‘What are you doing for your birthday? Where are we going for your birthday? When can I see you for your birthday? Donde esta la fiesta?’

Apparently there was no such thing as giving no (or work!) for an answer, as said friends turned up on my doorstep.

What’s a birthday girl to do? Turn away well-wishers, ignore her phone and knock back gifts? I think not!

Cue a spontaneous sun-drenched pool party in a bougainvillea clad garden in the campo, amazing friends and just a few costume changes (because one meticulously planned birthday outfit is never enough) and I couldn’t help but wonder why I’d been so hell bent on not having a birthday this year in the first place!

Looks like 2014 will have to be the year of hiding… (Although I’ll still accept gifts… under duress of course.)