Part 3: Proportionally speaking, one in four hundred

It's a little past midnight at home, almost five hours to go here. Four in my home country. Yogi called, the only one so far. I just poured myself a drink, I'm sitting by the pool. It's a nice evening to be out. I'm alone, with my noise cancelling headphones, listening to my favourite songs: Florence and the Machine, Pink Floyd, Pato Fu... As I take the first sip of my drink, I tell myself, in Portuguese: Happy Birthday, Bernardo.

I'll be on my own for the next 24h. I mean, not entirely: I am currently on a layover, surrounded by my work colleagues, who said they would join me for a drink - but so far nobody showed up. I don't blame them, I wouldn't be out myself if this wasn't my birthday. We worked a long flight here. Everyone is tired, including me. 

You might feel sad for me, but I am used to this life. This is not different than any other day, any other month, any other year. Throughout the years I learned to be flexible about dates, change the calendar e celebrate things when I could celebrate them, instead of when they actually are. It's the job I chose, I knew that coming in, and after almost ten years, I know better than to expect otherwise. I am also very comfortable with my own company - again, wouldn't be able to survive this lifestyle if that would not be the case.

I am getting drunk tonight. I don't really drink at all, but once in a while I like to get drunk, to reset my brain. My drink of choice is gin with sugar free lemonade. I expect to be unable to speak when I finish the last miniature bottle I brought with me. Please don't judge me - I don't do this often, and this is my intention tonight, to get drunk. I am alone at my birthday, after all.

xxx

It's almost the end of my birthday now, I am getting ready to be picked up from the hotel to work the overnight flight back home. I had a quiet, hangover free day - I have a fail proof technique, but I'll talk about it another time. I watched some movies, TV shows, did some admin work. Nothing out of the ordinary for a layover.

I have some messages and calls from the closes people in my life, and some surprises. I don't really put anything on social media about my birthday today. Therefore, anyone that calls, messages, reaches our, does it because they actually care, not because it's the expected thing to do. 

It was a very small number of people, especially when I consider how many people I know, how many followers I have, but here quality is more important than quantity. Those calls, messages, they made my day.

I will be home tomorrow and later this month I will have multiple celebrations with the people I love. It won't be in the exact day, but it truly doesn't matter to me. I am happy to receive their love, regardless of when and how I will get it.

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