Kandy met my birthday with ceremony, chaos, kindness, and cake. From ancient temples and mountain roads to unexpected celebrations overlooking the city, this chapter of Sri Lanka reminded me that getting older matters far less than staying curious and open to what finds you along the way.

Dambulla was where Sri Lanka began to stretch me. Longer days, ancient stone, early mornings, and a pace I wasn’t used to. Between the climb up Sigiriya, barefoot temples in Anuradhapura, elephant sightings, and deeply comforting meals (breadfruit included), this place asked me to slow down, soften, and meet the journey where it was.

Arriving in Sri Lanka on Christmas Day, jet-lagged, carrying a festive cold sore and a nervous system running at full tilt, I wasn’t expecting much beyond sleep and a shower. Yet Negombo had other plans. Between Christmas lights gleaming along the streets, the salty edge of the ocean outside my window, and quiet hours spent reading by the beach, the city offered a gentle landing. A pause before the whirlwind of adventure and an unexpectedly lively group of travellers would truly begin…