when did we get to that age?

Summer used to be about the beach. It used to be about the sun and the sea and the fact that we didn't have anything to do for three months except sun-tan and have a good time. It used to be about a week in Faqra in August, a trip by boat every once in a while, beach parties at night. But somewhere along the way, summers have come and gone merging into the other seasons, ending before we realize they've begun. I have to consciously stop and look at my calendar, and tell myself that it's July 14 and I haven't been to the beach yet. Not once.

But then again, there is one thing that also reminds me we're in summer: the white flowers hanging on every other door, the invitation cards flooding the entrance table, the harmonious beeping of car convoys... the names changing from double to triple on Facebook (I like this trend women have of keeping their maiden names, so modern-chic), pictures of the big day flooding everyone's walls, the honeymoons in the Maldives or San Francisco.

So when did we get to that age again? Because I think I missed the memo. Just yesterday we were sixteen and we would beg our parents to let us out until 2am and we would sneak out in the middle of the night, have sleepovers, play truth or dare, get drunk and spend the rest of the night throwing up in the guest bathroom of a friend's chalet in Faraya. Now I log on to Facebook with my morning coffee in one hand and my jaw drops as everyday I discover that a friend who I played barbies with when I was 10 years old now has a baby. And bless her heart, she's the cutest thing in the world and I'm so happy for her, but again --when did we reach that age? I log in again this morning and I see another one who is pregnant. I go out for drinks with my friends, and all everyone talks about is that dress she bought for thingy's wedding and the shoes she bought for the other wedding, and there's a wedding on Friday and two on Saturday and the engagement party and the bachelorette and if I hear these words one more time I think I'm going to scream.

There's never been a truer moment for me to say time flies. The last three years have gone by so fast I haven't had the time to pause and catch my breath. Next thing I know I'll be the one adding a name to my name and parading pictures of my belly. Maybe. And suddenly that whole Peter Pan story has a whole new meaning.

Birthday rhapsodies

I'm 26 today. Happy birthday to me!
It's funny how some years, your birthday comes and goes and nothing really changed. And then There are other years when you look back and think: wow almost nothing is the same!
Last year i celebrated my 25th Cape Town. Today i woke up in Los Angeles and tonight I am feasting in Vegas. Last year i had a boyfriend, a job as a TV anchor, worked on weekends and celebrated at a luxury spa and the seventh best restaurant in the world. And it was truly an amazing day. But now that i think of it, I felt oldish. Kind of Boring.
Today i went back a few years. I celebrated my birthday three times last week, you know like when you're turning 16 and you're really excited? I did a girls' night out where we played "never have i ever" and it was ridiculously fun. I did a night with a younger bunch whom i adore because they make me feel 21 again, drinking beers from the deken on dany's street in hamra, getting told ff by some dude because we were sitting on his car, and best of all, getting recognized by a fan of "beirut i love you" as the bunch of actors in the series. And then i celebrated at coop d'etat with my favorite people in the world, who all drank to my sex life. Boring? Anything but. Old? Never felt younger.
And now i'm about to hop on a plane to vegas. Yesterday i made one of my childhood dreams come true by seeing hollywood for the first time, placing my hands on the imprints of meryl streep at the chinese mann theater and walki into the kodak theater where maybe one day, i'll win an oscar... And the best is yet to come.

Ps: stay tuned for Vegas Rhapsodies