Twenty-eight years ago today, April 22nd, I became a mother for the first time.

The events of the day are embedded in my brain, they always will be, but isn’t it the same for every woman? How could she ever forget a single detail of the day when she exchanges her life of singular, to include another little human who is totally dependent upon her?

From the very first moment when I laid eyes upon my first-born baby, my son, Ben, was the moment that I became instantly besotted by my pink, perfect, new-born little person.

And today, as Ben turned twenty-eight years of age, and I looked into those pale blue eyes of his, I realised as I have done so many times during those twenty-eight years that he still holds my heart in the palm of his hand. He always has, he always will.

On Ben’s birthday last year we didn’t have the opportunity to hug him tight as we wished him a happy birthday as he was in the U.S.A., spending the day doing one of the things he loves the most, listening to music at the three day annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Ben spent five weeks in the U.S.A. and even though he had previously travelled to Japan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, I think it would be safe to say that his trip to America was the trip of a lifetime. Ben loved the States, especially New York City, where he and his mates spent eight days and nights exploring the sites.

Ben arrived home telling us all that New York City is his favourite city in the world so far, so for his birthday, I thought I would begin to share just couple of photos that he has given me of his trip. I told him that I’m sure my friends overseas, who read my blog, would like to see the U.S.A. through the eyes of an Australian and I’m thrilled to bits that he is allowing me to share them with you!

I have a few of Ben’s photos to progressively show you all. Maybe even my American friends might see an area or two of their country that they haven’t explored themselves yet! There’s certainly an awful lot of Australia that I haven’t seen yet, in fact it’s surprising how travellers will often see more of a country than the locals do, as their intention is to travel and see as much as they can fit into the duration of their holiday.

Happy birthday my beautiful boy. ❤