30 candles will stand guard on this year’s birthday cake. 30 burning reminders of time’s eternal progress and my desire to sink merrily into it like burning wicks into vanilla icing.

This will be an excuse to travel (festivities in New Zealand, everyone invited!) and an excuse to party (costumes preferred, gifts unnecessary!). How brilliant would the calendar be if we considered every year an achievement to celebrate, and not just an acknowledgement of impending wrinkles?

(Brought to you by Weekly Photo Challenge).