I celebrated my 40th birthday twice — first with family, then with friends. I'm so happy I kept them separate.

17.09.2024 - 02:02 / insider.com

My 40th birthday was looming. I wanted to do something special to mark it, but the idea of a big party where I was the center of attention sounded awful to an introvert like me.

Still, though, I wanted to celebrate with friends and family. I knew I didn't want presents, experiences that I would remember forever sounded more appealing. So, instead of a flashy celebration, I planned two incredible trips.

"You're going where?" everyone asked when we announced our intention to drive 1,500 miles around Namibia in 15 days.

We smiled at their reactions. The first trip took place in April and had been planned for months, with several route iterations exchanged between us and our tour operator. It was timed to fit between my husband's 40th in December and mine in June.

We were tired of kid-centered vacations, often involving waterslides and family-friendly resorts. This was about us, and it needed to be something different.

Of course, any travel with kids requires both mental and logistical preparation, but a road trip with this amount of driving was next level. I downloaded hours of age-appropriate audiobooks and scheduled a variety of activities to fit their physical stamina while scratching our travel itch.

We climbed the dunes around Dead Vlei early and tumbled down the slopes toward 1,000-year-old black petrified trees in the salt pan, but settled for observing Sossusvlei's tallest dune, Big Daddy, from a distance. In Swakopmund, we found kid-friendly restaurants, took a 4x4 tour instead of windsurfing lessons, and browsed gift shops rather than going dolphin-watching.

In Etosha National Park, we spent most of our time devouring ice cream at the campsite's watering hole. Elephants lumbered from north to south in front of us, while giraffes ambled to the water and cautiously lowered themselves to drink.

For accommodation, we kept it varied, sandwiching guesthouse stays between nights in the tents that unfolded from the top of our car. Every evening, we gathered around a barbecue or firepit to journal, toast marshmallows, or just watch flames dancing in the receding light.

It felt like a perfect balance between our pre- and post-kids travel identities. My family's trip to Namibia in 2019, booked with Namibia Tours and Safaris, cost $5,000, excluding flights.

Ten weeks later, and five days after my actual birthday, I was on the move once more, only this time on my own. I was headed to Paris for a reunion with my besties from school: three girls I'd known since we were 5 and who now live in the US, UK, and France.

I was exhilarated to be traveling solo again. The foray to France would conclude my birthday celebrations.

We all met at my friend's house in Saint-Germain-En-Laye, a serene suburb of the French