My Fortieth Birthday Beyond Borders in Dubai March As soon as we landed in Dubai, my face lit up with excitement, a wide smile breaking across my lips as I looked at my husband and whispered, “Thank you.” This was not our first time in Dubai; we had come here on my thirty-ninth birthday. That day, I casually told my husband that I wanted to spend my fortieth birthday in Dubai. Unbeknownst to me, he had kept that request in his head. Six months before my birthday, he informed me that we were going away to Dubai for my fortieth birthday, and we were bringing along forty of our closest family and friends. It was a pleasant surprise, and I remember clasping my hands to my chest, eyes widening in amazement as I whispered, “Oh gosh! How extremely exciting.” Friends and family flew in from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ghana. Later that night, as we sat in the spellbinding atmosphere of Thiptara, inspired by the beauty and culture of Thailand, we took in breathtaking views of the majestic Burj Khalifa and the Dubai fountains with their magical colors. My fortieth birthday celebration had started, and between indulging in the exquisite dinner with our forty guests, friends made speeches and raised toasts. I felt extremely special in my glitzy sequined couture dress. At that moment, Anthea, an old schoolmate fromMfantsiman Girls High School in Cape Coast, delighted our friends with how she first met me in secondary school form one and the escapades we engaged in thereafter. It was touching. A H E L W A N 15 The Birthday Journal
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