Today was Charlotte’s 8th birthday. She’d been looking forward to it all month, and counting down the days the minute she woke up each morning. So it was no surprise when Charlotte woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning! Our plan was to make the day last, with little surprises along the way, and it meant a happy day for Charlotte. First of all she had the birthday cards from us and Emily. Then the hostel reception gave her some birthday cards that had arrived by post (we’d written home a few weeks ago with the address of the hostel we were going to be in on her birthday). And then she started on her presents, unwrapping them with glee.

Then it was down to the pool for a swim, before heading into town to pick up her ‘Happy Birthday’ emails. When she got back, Sarah had transformed the table for a birthday party, with Emily and the two other children in the hostel, complete with banners, balloons, party plates and birthday cake. And then, finally, at 5 o’clock the telephone rang and it was her best friend from home, Oliver, calling to sing Happy Birthday to her, followed by another phone call from her Nana and Opa. All in all, a pretty good day to become eight, and not a trace of home-sickness in sight!