It's scary to think how fast time flies. The first time I wore this green dress was on my 30th birthday, and the second time was on November 5th, 2019. Five years have gone by so quickly that I felt like I didn't achieve much.
How did I feel when I turned 35? I honestly loved it, and one month after my birthday, I still love the Crystal at 35. Besides, I had a fabulous celebration.
It was the first time I celebrated my birthday overseas with my girlfriends. We flew to Bali, Indonesia, on November 1st, to attend our close friend, Jessica's wedding.
It was my first time attending a wedding in Bali, and boy, it was truly magical. The location was fantastic, the decoration was beautiful, the couple looked lovely, and the food was delicious. We danced until midnight when the couple tossed their bouquet. Guess who caught it?
This girl.
Does that mean I'll be getting married next year? I don't know. That story will leave for another time. For now, I just wanted to share with you my roller-coaster ride to the 35th birthday. So buckle up!
We booked a two-bedroom villa in the heart of Seminyak. It was my first time celebrating a birthday overseas with my girlfriends. We spoke about this trip a few months in advance, so I was excited. We had our breakfast at a cute Australian cafe in Bali, then went shopping along Legian street. We spent our late afternoon drinking at a beach bar in the Marriott hotel, laughing at each other's jokes, taking way too many #wefie photos, and enjoying the sunset view of Bali.
In the evening, we found our way to Alila hotels for a lovely dinner by the beach. The day couldn't be better.
On the second day, I booked a private tour for three of us to check out some famous places in Nusa Penida. We first went for snorkeling at Crystal Bay with the hope to swim with the majestic manta rays of Nusa Penida, but we weren't lucky enough to see any. I was just happy to be underwater, regardless.
Then we drove up to the mountain to catch a magnificent view of Kelingking beach that popped up on my Instagram feed almost every day. The photo doesn't do this place justice. You have to make a trip here to witness its beauty yourself.
After Kelingking, off we went to Broken Beach. This beach is not like any other beach that I saw before. Probably from thousands of years ago, when the waves hit the rock consistently, it created a giant hole in the middle of the cliff. Now, the imperfect cliff makes Broken Beach become one of the most popular destinations in Nusa Penida.
By the time we came back to our hotel, this was what I saw. A bedroom was full of roses on the bed, in the bathtub, and on the floor. That was the loveliest birthday surprise I've ever received from my girlfriends.
The next morning, we had breakfast and went for a photoshoot around the villa, specially arranged and paid for by my girl, Jessica.
Love these girls to bit Rebecca on my left and Stefanie on my right.
It would have been my perfect birthday celebration if only a burglary didn't happen at our villa that night. We were so careful to keep all our valuable items away in a locked suitcase and a safety box. Somehow, someone managed to open our villa gate, room doors, and knew where to find all our money and high sentimental value items. It was unfortunate that this happened on my birthday. From feeling extremely happy and grateful, to extremely angry, upset, anxious, and scared, we experienced all levels of human emotion on one night. Like the craziest roller coaster, we rode on. I was glad that we were safe, but still I was enraged. Some closest friends also reached out to offer to send me money in case we needed cash to go home. For that, I'm thankful!
I've known Rebecca for almost four years now, but this was the first time I saw how calm and yet strong she was to deal with the situation. She never shed a tear when speaking with the hotel staff and the police, but broke down the next morning when telling Stefani and I how much the rings meant to her. I love and admire this girl so much.
This is life! Nothing is perfect. There will be many unexpected circumstances happen that are out of our control and imagination. It will make you wiser, stronger, and braver. On a brighter note, I had the most unique and memorable 35th birthday celebration. I can't wait to see what this new chapter in life has for me.
Thank you so much for all these lovely wishes, presents, and cakes!