Celebrations of a ‘big birthday’

Two weeks today I’ll be 65. This was the age men got their state pension and, as female, I should have had mine for 5 years. But things changed and I’ll now get mine in a year.

This past week I’ve been thinking on birthdays and how to mark them. For my 50th I had 3 big adventure holidays. The Christmas before turning 50 I did a back packing holiday around Northern India with Intrepid Travel. I’d never done a holiday like that before and I moved to holidays that took me outside my comfort zone and broadened my mind. Over my birthday I did a camping safari in Namibia – we put up our own dome tents and?helped with cooking and washing up, this was not a luxury safari. To end the year we backpacked around Southern India, again with Intrepid.

Move forward 10 years and to celebrate turning 60 I spent a couple of months in Australia for the start of my birthday year. This included climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the last trip of 2016, an achievement given I’m scared of heights, and we were on a small boat in the inclusion zone to watch the fireworks for NYE. My planned hike for my birthday got cancelled due to foreign office advice so instead booked a small ships holiday sailing in Croatia. My birthday was spent on a Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik. I ended my birthday year by spending a few days in Dar es Salem, then getting an expedition ship to sail in the Indian Ocean – Zanzibar, Mafia island, The Seychelles, Madegascar, Reunion and ending in Mauritius. We then booked an apartment and spent a couple of weeks there.

Life changes and I change.

65 is special – so many people never have the fortune to reach this age.

I plan to mark it in ceremony. To create my own, deeper way of recognising the passing of the years, rather than a big party with cake, candles and balloons.

This will be something meaningful to me.

As I work out what to do – and I will share later, I’m interested in how you have celebrated occasions – from big birthdays to significant life events. Whilst a traditional party with friends and family is a wonderful experience, did you, or someone you know do something a bit different, or mark it in a different way. I’d love to hear.

And in case you wondered, I missed last week as I was co-leading a Vision Quest out in nature. No technology with me so time to think. I talked the questers through ceremonies to do during their solo 4 days and nights and that got me thinking about my forthcoming birthday.?

Dr Denise Taylor is a Chartered Psychologist and Vision Quest Guide, specialising in retirement transitions and elderhood. Regularly featured in the media, she is the author of 8 books including Find Work at 50+ and Now You've Been Shortlisted.

My next book – Rethink Retirement will be published in 2023.

• Award winning retirement coach with Amazing People
• Working with people at 50+ - The 50 Plus Coach
• Finding meaning and nature based retreats – see Denise Taylor website