- Tracy Block thought that she would own a home and be married by 40.
- Last year, still single, she decided that she wanted to celebrate her 40th birthday with her parents.
- The three of them traveled to Greece and boarded an adults-only Virgin Voyages cruise.
I'm one of those people who prefers to escape on her birthday. I like to take a trip and get out of Dodge. After spending my 30th sipping bubbly at the Veuve Clicquot Champagne house in Reims, France, I knew I had to plan something epic for my 40th.
But my road to 40 was not easy. I spent most of my 30s feeling lost. I'd moved to Colorado from Miami and back, which left me searching for answers. I thought that by this point in my life, I would have a husband and own a home.
During the year leading up, jealousy got the best of me. My social media feeds were plastered with highlights of how others were celebrating their 40th birthdays — spouses throwing fabulous soirees and whisking their partners away to exotic destinations.
After a vent sesh with a close friend, I was reminded not to harp on what I don't have but to focus on what I do: my parents.
So, I went over to their house for dinner and told them that since I didn't have that special someone to share my 40th with, I wanted to spend it with them. Like always, they understood and answered my call with open arms.
When I suggested going to Greece, my dad recommended a cruise because he couldn't imagine lugging bags while island hopping. When I mentioned an adults-only Virgin Voyages, he wasn't convinced, assuming it would be too young for two baby boomers. But despite my parents being in their late 60s, I knew they could still hang with the best of them.
We compared six different cruises — including options from Seabourn and Princess — but Virgin's "Greek Island Glow" seemed like the best fit. My dad did a bit more research and found positive reviews by older adults who'd traveled on the ship and finally caved. I paid $4,400 for an XL Sea Terrace cabin, which included $400 credit on the cruise.
Three days in Athens
Last June, after a champagne toast in the airport lounge, we boarded our flight and awoke in Athens. We immediately hit a walking foodie tour for our first bite of authentic spanakopita and sip of Greek wine. We strolled the Plaka and shopped for olive oil and honey and then toasted to sunset from the rooftop of the Hotel Grande Bretagne with the Acropolis illuminated nearby.
We spent the second day sightseeing in Athens, dropping by the Panathenaic Stadium, watching the changing of the guard at the Presidential Mansion, and enjoying panoramic views from atop Lycabettus Hill.
At dinner, we enjoyed Greek tapas — gigante beans and fava purée became quick favorites — and were served our first taste of sweet, piney Mastiha, a native digestif. There was lots of laughter and many inside jokes were born.
On our final day in Athens, we were ferried to Aegina, part of the Saronic Islands. We explored narrow alleys offering peekaboo marina views. Home to the PDO red pistachio, we went nuts shopping and enjoyed pistachio gelato.
Cruising with my parents
On day four, it was time to greet our home for the next seven nights: The Resilient Lady — quite apropos, all things considered. Once we were checked into our cabins, I surprised my parents with custom-made insulated wine tumblers sporting my birthday theme. At sail away, we clinked some more, and before long, it was party time along the Aegean Sea.
We all made the most of our time on the cruise. I worked out each morning while my parents enjoyed breakfast on their terrace. We sunbathed together. My mom and I got salon blowouts. I splurged on a spa visit. We played trivia and then blackjack in the casino. I made friends over nightcaps and posed at Instagrammable photo spots.
On our first morning, I woke up to a stunning at-sea sunrise just outside Santorini. After we tendered, our private driver took us on a scenic tour of the spectacular cliff-carved homes from atop Oia and whitewashed churches with blue-domed roofing abound.
We also made stops in Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese islands, to tour the ruins and windmills, and Bodrum, a town in Turkey, where we strolled the bazaar in the morning and spent the afternoon at the Bodrum EDITION near the Yalikavak Marina.
The big 4-0
On the morning of my 40th birthday in Mykonos, I treated myself to something memorable. Since friends had professional photos of their engagements and newborns, I booked a $250 photo shoot to commemorate the day.
My parents went off to explore Old Town while I strutted in a louder-than-life fuschia dress that stopped multiple tour groups in their tracks — certainly not for the modest.
We spent the afternoon at a posh beach club, lazing in a cabana before heading back to the boat. To my surprise, my parents had worked with the cabin stewards to outfit mine with 40th birthday decorations.
The evening felt special. While the 30-year-old me visiting Mykonos would've planned for an all-nighter at the clubs, we instead ushered in my new decade at an intimate al fresco dinner savoring an incredible sunset. We feasted on the fat of the land, finally tried loukoumades for dessert, and belted "Ya Mas!" over more local vino and Mastiha.
At dinner, it was as if time stood still. In that moment, I was able to set aside what I felt were my personal failures. Instead, I was able to focus on what was right in front of me: the two selfless humans who brought me into this world, out of pure love, and I held on tightly to that feeling.
While our Greek getaway didn't send me Prince Charming or the keys to my dream home, it offered a priceless perspective. It strengthened my ties with my aging parents and gave me gratitude for them in a life where nothing is promised.
