Table for One: Birthday Dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel

On my 50th birthday, I dined at one of the most beautiful restaurants in the world, The Ahwahnee Hotel (now called the Majestic Hotel in Yosemite). My mother made a reservation for me almost 6 months ago when she knew I would be in the Valley for my birthday. She asked for a table for one by the window and it was perfect. The restaurant has a dress code, so I had to leave my hiking boots at my campsite and "glam up" a bit. It felt strange to put on make-up and blow dry my hair after 2 weeks of going "au-naturel." My table was at the end of the long elegant restaurant, so I walked the full length of the dining room, escorted by a sweet Maitre D'. When I arrived at my table, it was set beautifully for one, candle lit, and by the window. I smiled at the Maitre D' and he smiled back at me and said, "Happy Birthday Madame."

As I sat down at my table, I saw 4 happy couples at nearby tables, looking my way. Their expressions were a mix of subtle curiosity and concern. I just kept smiling at everyone and radiating my happiness. It seemed to create more confusion, which made me want to laugh out loud. I ordered a glass of sparkling cider in a champagne glass and then pulled out a stack of birthday cards from friends and family. My waiter, James, greeted me warmly and took care of my every request for the evening. After 2 weeks of eating camp food, I wanted to order everything on the menu. I selected the spring salad and crab cakes, which were fantastic, the roasted salmon on a bed of heirloom tomatoes and roasted corn, and the dulce de leche gelato for dessert. As I savored each bite, I wrote notes in my journal about the day. The combination of me savoring my meal and writing my thoughts down, prompted my waiter James to approach me with some urgency and ask, "Madame, may I ask, are you a food writer? If so, I'd like to let the chef know."For a split second, I thought, "well, this could be fun! I could say 'yes' and see what happens." But I said, "no, thank you for asking. I'm just writing in my journal, but I've always wanted to be a food writer."

I took my sweet time with this experience. No rushing. Enjoying eat bite. Enjoying the view. Enjoying my peace. Reflecting on the past year and what I've come through, where I am now, and how strong and capable I feel. As I sat there, pensively looking out the window, one of the couples at a nearby table was finishing their meal. They came over to me and the woman put her arm around my shoulder and with genuine care and concern, said, "Good evening, we saw you eating alone and we just wanted to say that we hope everything is okay." (The "old me" would have been somewhat annoyed by her gesture, but she was so sweet and so sincere, that I took pleasure in reassuring her that everything was indeed more than okay.) I briefly told them my story, of my big life change a year and a half ago and my 10 week solo road trip to see 10 National Parks. The woman, Catherine, and her husband, Patrick, then settled into a 20 minute conversation with me, wanting to know more about my trip and how I chose to do this adventure by myself. As we talked, I told them it was my 50th birthday that evening. Well, that just about did them in. "It's your birthday, TONIGHT?" "Oh my God" Catherine said. "You're here by yourself on your birthday?" At that exact moment, my waiter, James, approached my table delivering a special dessert with a candle in it and a "Happy Birthday" message written in dark chocolate. Catherine and Patrick wouldn't resist. They broke into song, singing "Happy Birthday." But that wasn't enough. Catherine insisted on being in my birthday photo, so that I wouldn't have a photo of me alone. HILARIOUS! I tried to explain to her that I wasn't lonely. . . that I was having the time of my life. She said, "Well, I'm very impressed with you." But she still insisted on

being in my photo (which you can see below :-). She gave Patrick my camera and instructed him on the shot. Patrick took a photo of the two of us with my birthday dessert. Then he rolled his eyes and said, "Now I'll take one of just you and your happy self." And he did.

As I finished by meal, I knew that my 50th birthday was as magical as it could possibly be. My life was unfolding in ways I could never have imagined, and I felt more free, more alive, and more present than ever before.

---