Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Nineteenth


It's Zoë's twenty-first birthday. There are so many strange things about this, foremost among them the fact that she's twenty-one years old. Then, there's also the fact that she's in Madurai, India--although we are relatively experienced at this particular weirdness, since she spent her sixteenth birthday (and that Christmas too) in Germany. We didn't even mail her a card this time, because around the time such a card should have been mailed, it looked like she might leave Madurai early. But we did get to talk to her on the phone today at great length! She had a good birthday, surrounded by friends and a sweet host mom (who told her at one point "God sent me a Hindi-speaking girl!"--it's a treat for both of them that her host mom is from North India and speaks Hindi). Two cakes, lots of gifts, dinner out with pals. It sounded like a sweet, celebratory day for our girl. She has only two weeks left in Madurai, and then her adventuring will take her to Budapest for seven weeks before she lands on this continent again.


She was just a tiny little peanut, see?


And now? She's a grown up, world traveling, polylingual, brilliant, gorgeous young woman.

5 comments:

Danni said...

Is that you in the baby picture? You look to be about 12! Happy birthday Zoe!

Liz Woodbury said...

Yes, that's me! I was 25, but people often assumed I was her nanny. At the time, I was DEEPLY offended! Ha!

Joanna said...

Aw, look at that peanut. That's what we called Elias before he was born. Happy birthday to your girl (woman)!

Melissa Crowe said...

Two beautiful girls. :-) Happy B-day, Miss Z!

mama d said...

Quadruple like this post! I've only known her since she was seven, but I just cannot believe she's now twenty-one! Lots to celebrate and lots of exciting things to come!