One of the joys of having this website, is to be able to share all of our celebrations as we grow into the wonderful women we are all becoming.

And that includes my own Celebration.

On June 10, 2005, I reached what many of us consider a major milestone and celebrated my 50th birthday.

For years, I had been making all sorts of exotic plans. Greece and Egypt were places that held the honor of being the site of my Celebration for over 10 years...until about 5 years ago. Then the Galapagos Islands, New Zealand and Northern Africa/Mediterranean region came into the picture.

In the end, and for many reasons, I came to choose a quiet and restful location to celebrate - beautiful British Columbia and more specifically Vancouver Island.

We stayed at a wonderful little place called Fossil Bay. Our cottage overlooked the Strait of Juan de Fuca and across to the US and Washington State. The room was quiet, had a fire place and a hot tub on the private patio overlooking the water. The best part was being awakened at about 6am by eagles - Mom was teaching the youngsters how to fish!

French Beach was just to the east of our cottage. It has an easy access and is perfect for families or those with limited abilities. This beach is apparently a favorite spot for migrating gray whales, though it was a bit late in the season for that. However, we lost track of the number of eagles we saw here.

West of our cottage is China Beach and Mystic Beach. Same parking lot, but Mystic Beach was a 45 minute walk through the woods, over a suspension bridge and down the cliff to a small beach with a water fall, and the beginning of the Juan de Fuca Beach Trail. Beautiful. The warning signs about bear and cougar kept us talking loud enough to be heard by these shy creatures. One does not turn 50 in order to be eaten by another wise creature!

After a few more days of this magic, coming back into Victoria to catch the ferry was a bit of a shock. Victoria is a lovely city, and especially colorful in the Inner Harbor.

Coming back into Washington meant having dinner with a friend of 30 years. There is not much we have not seen or done in one another's lives. We went to college together, cried over dates, participated in each others weddings and divorces, shared in illness and recovery. She was even there when I had my son. Years apart, we reconnected from opposite sides of the world, only to find that connection was never lost. Life long friends...there is very little that is more special.

While I may wonder where the time went, wonder where I would be if only I had done "X", the truth is, I am where I'm suppose to be. It shouldn't surprise anyone to know that I look forward to the next 50 plus years.

©2005 Barbara C. Phillips, NP