Lucky girl I am, I had the chance to celebrate my birthday in England. And not just any birthday, it was my 21st. It was just great, trust me on that one.

So I decided to write a brief guide if you just happen to have a birthday while you are abroad. Hoping it will be useful. I am collecting a nice bit of the DOs the DON'Ts and yes, Santa Clause is coming to town as well.

First and foremost as birthdays are the official loopholes in life for spending money, drinking alcohol and eating nice things, you should seize the opportunities lying ahead.

1. Before the Big Day: plan a trip

DO: Plan a trip, go on a short break, if you can. Don't ever be afraid of travelling alone or travelling far away, it is always worth. Get lost, meet locals and collect some nice memories. 

As for me, I went to London for the weekend just before my birthday. Lovely, as always, the city has stolen my heart again. But more on this later.

DON'T: Do not stay at home or hope for others to decide about your faith on your birthday. Trust me, you will regret it later.

2. If I convinced you to go somewhere, why not London?

DO: pub crawling, sightseeing on the banks of the Thames, Platform 9 and 3/4, trying mulled cider (or mulled anything), travelling on a Routemaster double-decker, visiting Camden market, going to Covent Garden to see the street performers... I don't think I have to introduce this gorgeous town to you. Go ahead, call your old or new friends who live there and meet them as well.

DON'T: Actually I cannot think of a relevant thing, shame on me... My only word of caution would be not to go to bed early, and walk until your feet hurt so badly they are killing you. Don't stop before that, as time is short, and London has much to offer.

Also as it is almost Christmas, get a Santa sweater!

3. On your birthday: food & stuff

DO: Have a nice birthday dinner/lunch, try new food (like Sushi for me), take your afternoon off, go and see a movie.

DON'T: Please don't pretend the day is not important. You might say you hate your birthdays, but they have so much to offer as little cheerful events and possibilities.

4. On your birthday: About drinking

DO: Go to a pub, even try to sneak in to an age limited one (it is your last chance for that, after turning to 21, no one will care anymore). Have some drinks, try the ones with the funniest names: Black Wych, Dog's balls, Hobgoblin, Pumpking, The Dark Lord are just some good examples of how creative the English are when it comes to ales and beers.

DON'T: Please avoid regular drinks and cheap beers, or something you already know too well. It is your birthday, isn't it? So go for the new ones, try to make things count.

5. Birthday Party

DO: Just do it. Big or small, going out, or drinking in, who cares? Nottingham has some really lovely places. I happened to be in a club where Santa Clause was the DJ, and he gave us all red hats.

DON'T miss out on it.

I hope I could provide you with some ideas and gave you some enthusiasm about planning your own birthday! That was it for today, thanks for reading it. 

 I hope you liked my article, here you can my previous articles.