Birthday Girl.

Hipstamic app on iPhone for all the hipsters out there....Ha. Me, enjoying my signature cocktail before heading out for dinner.

Leave it to us, all EIGHT of us, to only take 4 f*ing pictures on my amaazzzing day-after-Birthday celebration!! As if my actual birthday celebrations weren't enough, all of my beloved friends (and yoga students) planned a beautiful dinner for me on the 4th at Cafe Vola's in Atlantic City. This institution-of-a-restaurant is old school Italian. It is on an unassuming street, in a basement of an unassuming house. Yep, a basement. With only one little sign to assure you that you were indeed headed into an eatery. We ate and ate and ate, and then we ate a little bit more. We consumed gallons of red wine, giggled like crazy, and enjoyed yet another evening in one anothers company. Thank you so much to Bridget, Rochelle, Kylee, Coleen, Megan, Kaitlin, and Samantha for making "my day" a very special day.

Rochelle, sipping on a "Cailin" at Bridgets house before we head out....

Kylee and I, RED WINE.

Bridget and I, stained lips from red wine and full bellies. Life is good.

Family Dinner.

shucks...

My mom is pretty amazing with words, and this is her latest email update about my Dad, which she dedicated to me. Thanks to my parents for bringing me into this world 25 years ago:

A quick shout out to Jan and her husband Rich for making us soups and giving Paul a great long sleeved T-Shirt from the Avalon Marine Center where they both work.Rich told me he loves to start his day reading my updates.I love you guys. Thanks to Mindy for coming over on Sunday with a full meal that she shared with us. Excellent. Salad, pasta ,bread. I sent her home with pheasant. it was a good trade. Toni continues to bring us goodies and hang out with us about every other week.Its always a good time. Jason came by with bagels the other day. Then he went walking with us. He is a great husband , father and friend. We are lucky to have him in our corner. So many other people continue to write , call, stop by, and in general keep us in great spirits. Its such a nice feeling being loved. Now to get to the main subject of this letter.My daughter. My 4 hours away from being 25 year old daughter. I often skim over Cailin in these letters. Actually its a little painful at times to talk about the sacrifices she has made recently, so I tend to keep it inside. Today she posted a blog about her birthdays abroad. Its fantastic. She has not been home to celebrate her birthday since she was 20 years old. Each winter , after working and saving all her hard earned summer money, she travels. She lives and breathes traveling. She loves us, and South Jersey in the summer, but winter here is rather tortuous for her. Thank God this winter has been so mild. Cailin has never been good at sitting around. She needs to be busy and experiencing new things every day.Well, this year she decided she needed to be here for her dad. She has been teaching yoga, giving massages, playing an occasional music gig, doing a little catering, but for the most part has been just hanging with us. Let's face it. We used to be exciting as hell , but recently we aren't exactly setting the world on fire. We keep telling her that Dad is fine, and she should take to the open road , but still she stays. She's been helping in the best ways she can and I just want her to know how much we love her. 25 years ago we drove down the GSP yelling to the toll guy that we were having a baby. It was the start of a very special relationship. It takes about a minute of being a parent when you realize you would walk through fire for your child .In my case, I know I'd come rescue her no matter where in the world she was. Liam Nesson in TAKEN has nothing on me. We love you "As big as the Universe" Cailin. Thanks for hanging around. And Happy Happy Birthday. Love, Mom and Dad

Birthday Celebrations.

And so my official birthday began....

Gina crawled into bed with me at 7am and we digested Twilight. We watched Twilight and Twilight New Moon yesterday - so it was a lot for her to take in at once. We discussed Edward, Bella, Jacob and Charlie in depth...she was prepared with her list of questions, and I was more than equipped and excited to answer. We had coffees and then headed to Surfside for my 9:15am yoga class.

When we got to yoga Samantha greeted me with a full platter of cupcakes and "25" candles....

Before heading to the bar some of us ladies threw down some cupcakes....

And then the fun began. Mimosas with fresh squeezed OJs followed by "Yoginis" : champagne, campari, st.germain, and fresh squeezed OJ, topped off with Blood Marys. Holy Shizballs. We hung at the bar for a few hours, chatting amongst good friends and sipping booze....

The key to this EPIC bloody was the CHIPOTLE VODKA. soooo good.

My birthday wouldn't be complete without Bridget by my side - hence us taking the party to HER because she couldn't get off of work. Also, a party with me aint a party until we've picked some oracle cards....

Now: Family Dinner.

GinaBeana!!

Gina is my best friend from college. She was the one person who I filled my days with...sipping coffees on campus, hanging around the art studio, or in each others apartments coming up with delicious creations. She drove down from Ramsey yesterday (3hrs) to be a part of my birthday celebration and I'm SO GRATEFUL that she's going to be at the table for family dinner. She made me my favorite, Rice Krispie treats, and after throwing several of those fluffy clouds of heaven we ate tuna fish sandwiches. Tunafish sandwiches were one of our stables- and I can't eat one without thinking of G. Ah, memories! She hasn't seen twilight yet (I know, I KNOW...this poor girl...), so yesterday we cuddled up on the couch and I caught her up to speed. Then we headed to my Yin yoga class and ultimately ended up in Avalon at the Whitebriar to see my friend Bridget. Bridg came up with a delicious cocktail, which we will call " the yogini ". It's a blend of all my favorite things: St.Germain, Campari, Champagne and fresh squeezed OJ! It was a great night that ended with G and I on the couch watching more twilight. And now, let the celebrations continue...

Birthdays Abroad

I haven't celebrated a birthday at home in several years. I'm really really really missing my vagabond winters, but it is nice to be home with my family during this time. Also, I have been BLESSED with an AMAZING community of yogi's (and yogini's) who have filled a huge void that was in my heart. Here's a reflection of the past several birthdays, and the amazing individuals that I celebrated with....

21

in Costa Rica

I hadn't told a soul that it was my 21st. I was in town all alone - my family had left and the two Norwegian girls Maja and Mari that I had been living with had left two days before. Apparently before they left they told our bartender. At sunset I got out of the water and mozied up to the bar in my bikini, still wet and salty. I ordered a coffee. I don't know why - I just had a hankering. Well I took a sip and was taken aback by the fact that it was half cafe rio (a coffee liquour!). Raj told me that I wasn't getting away without celebrating my birthday! Out came the balloons and bam - the celebration began and continued into the night. There was even a cake with candles!!

22

in Costa Rica

Back in Dominical for yet another birthday. My friend Taylor owns the popular bar in town, Que Nivel - and she sponsored by birthday...advertising for it all throughout town. Her friend, Costa Rican reggae musician NOAH offered to provide the entertainment and it was epic. Also, the following day my friend Callen had HIS birthday - so we had a joint celebration. His mom made an epic spread and we had a dinner party at the top of the hill in their beautiful home. Our friend Cassie even made handcrafted Lei's for us :)

Callen and Me :)

Noah, taking a break from singing to dance with me!

My local surf crew: Pepe, Ariel and Kevin.

My ladie loves in Domi :)

23

in Costa Rica

My friend Roni surprised me by organizing all of my friends in town, a bus, and a boat to an island - where there was lunch and ballons and all sorts of amazing shit!!! The celebration of a LIFETIME. To date, still the most amazing birthday!

My card from Mikey (he made them for me for all occassions)

Some of the ladies

Birthday Hats and Beers

24

in Thailand

My most recent birthday was in southeast Asia, in Chaing Mai, Thailand. I celebrated with TWO yoga classes in town and then headed out with my two favorite Dutch (Mick and Linda) for an epic celebration. We went to see a live Reggae band, and Mick had told them it was my birthday so the whole bar sang for me. Good times :)

Celebrating my 25th in Sri Lanka or New Zealand wouldn't be too shabby, but I'm super excited to be home with my family. I wonder where I'll ring it 26....

Birthday Blog.

Today is my birthday. I don't feel any different, any older - but it's true...I am 365 days older than I was one year ago.

The journey from 21 to 22 has been an interesting one. Exciting and intense, and there has been much that I've learned about life and of myself this past year...

1. A simple life is a good life...it's as simple as that!! To quote Notorious BIG "mo' money...mo' problems".

2. The combination of eating healthy and regular exercise is amazing. Having this control over your mind and fitness is so rewarding -- and has left me feeling amazing inside AND out. Really, all we have in life is our health, so I have made it my #1 concern this year to give my health a ton of love and attention. You ARE what you PUT in your body...mentally and physically.

3. Reading is FUN! Aside from Harry Potter and books by Chuck Palhinuk - the only time I would read would be for my "assigned reading" in school. This year, I have become a feign, and I've been delighted and consumed with almost every book I've picked up. Biographies, classics, fiction, nonfiction...I've read it all.

Which brings me to number 4......

4. My love for the LIBRARY! Knowledge TRULY is power. There is no such thing as bad knowledge, or having too much of it. The library supplies me with an endless source of novels, cookbooks, reference books, magazines, music, movies, documentaries, travel books....EVERYTHING that you could want to read. My free library card was the best investment I've made in years.

5. Perhaps my greatest discovery of ALL of my years has been YOGA. Why it took me 22 years to get into it I will never know...but I'm so thankful that it found me. Yoga, aside from leaving me lean and limber has brought me peace of mind that I have never been able to attain otherwise. It is a whole body - whole mind healer, and I can take it with me everywhere I go.

So hell, PURA VIDA. Feliz Cumpelanos to me!!!!!!!