I woke up one morning in May after dreaming that I had spent my birthday sailing down the Thames, enjoying views of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Not having been back in England since 2000, I decided to make that dream a reality. I messaged two of my best mates from MBA days, Tariq Shahab (from London)and Martin Riemen(from Berlin), and invited the boys for a birthday bash in London. They both said "Yes"!
So on the 26th of September 2014, my friends and I stood on the Westminster Bridge and snapped this photo. More than anything, we cherished the time spent catching up on each other's lives in the past 17 years since leaving Birmingham University. Tariq has a successful international sales career in pharmaceuticals while Martin has seen much action in the fast-paced world of investment banking. They are both also proud fathers, and I'm grateful they set aside time for our mini reunion - and to celebrate my birthday too! Surely, it's a sign of true friendship when all the years just melt away and we can chat as if we'd only left uni yesterday. Although the boys did drag up some horror stories of my misadventures from the distant past that I'd completely forgotten...grrrr....
Tariq did a great job finding us a penthouse apartment in central London with a panoramic view of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral and the Shard. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time on the balcony!
(L-R) Martin, Joanna & Tariq reunited in London - Sept 2014
So on the 26th of September 2014, my friends and I stood on the Westminster Bridge and snapped this photo. More than anything, we cherished the time spent catching up on each other's lives in the past 17 years since leaving Birmingham University. Tariq has a successful international sales career in pharmaceuticals while Martin has seen much action in the fast-paced world of investment banking. They are both also proud fathers, and I'm grateful they set aside time for our mini reunion - and to celebrate my birthday too! Surely, it's a sign of true friendship when all the years just melt away and we can chat as if we'd only left uni yesterday. Although the boys did drag up some horror stories of my misadventures from the distant past that I'd completely forgotten...grrrr....
Day and night views from our penthouse apartment
Tariq and Joanna celebrating her birthday with lemon and strawberry tarts from Paul
My 2014 birthday celebration was indeed a dream come true!
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