My 30th

Despite all my trepidations about entering my 30s, and much like one of my favorite children's books- The Monster at the End of the Book-, there was nothing to fear.

It started at the stroke of midnight Seoul time, with calls from my two Swiss besties, Ashley and Yann simultaneously on skype. After a quick hello from Ash, I took Yann's call. He sang Happy Birthday to me in French and then presented me with a homemade cake that he "shared" over the net :)

Yann showing off his work of art 

When we got up in the morning, I finished my 30th mile of the week- just a little personal goal of mine to welcome the new year and came back from breakfast to a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from Nicholas.

From there, we headed to the Hyatt for a fancy lunch with a great view. But to my surprise, when we arrived, instead of heading to the lounge with the great windows, I was whisked away to the lower level and entered the spa. After the massages and facial, I re-entered the world in a zen state and sat with Nicholas for our lunch with a view accompanied by a beautiful violinist and piano music.

Although I could have stayed there for the remaining hours of my birthday, we had to head to the restaurant where we were meeting old and new friends for a relaxed Thai birthday dinner. There I literally met some of my guests for the first time and saw some of my favorite friends from Lausanne :) I was blessed with an amazing evening and meal! I even received some lovely gifts, including a box of real Swiss chocolate, a great makeup bag, a bouquet of flowers and whitening soap* and a luxurious silk scarf. To end the dinner, our dear friend Mamta had brought a cake to share.

Nicholas and I with two of our friend's children in the background 

To finish off the evening we headed to a pub to have a last drink. The pub was hilarious, below is the sign on the front door :) 

All in all, my 30th may have been my best birthday yet. I am eternally grateful for my wonderful family and friends for making it so special, starting from the beginning of the month til the actual day. 30 is fabulous and I am loving it!