What else, if not food?

When I grew up the only way I new to celebrate anything was to gather around some food source. Doesn't matter whether it was home around the table, or barbecue at the beach, or a fancy restaurant - the centerpiece of the party was always food. Lots of food. The more - the better. That's how my family was celebrating things, so I learned to do the same.

And for many years the vast majority of the parties looked the same: we seat around the table, eat, then eat some more, talk some and eat again. Play guitar, sing songs and eat more. Repeat.

Recently I had a hard realization that this food show just has to come to an end. And the reasonable question arose: what now? How to organize a party and not center it around food?

I came up with a couple options.

1. I focus on WHAT TO DO rather than on what to eat. What experience I value enough to call it a celebration?

2. If my gathering is more traditional and I invite people over, I make sure to cook just enough food for everybody to have a decent meal. Not 10 courses, as I used to make (5 appetizers, 3 options of sides, 4 desserts and enough meat to feed an army). No. Knowing who's coming I portion food into reasonable servings, and if people are still hungry after it, there are always fruits or berries available. This approach means that after the food is gone, there is nothing else to do at the table, and people are motivated to move away from it and avoid the temptation to overeat. Instead, finding ways to connect and enjoy other sides of life.

Over the past few years we came up with some ideas to do birthdays, both for grown-ups and for kids, that did not include too much food.

This year I turned 36. And it was the best party ever. Together with my girlfriends we hiked 11.5 miles, gaining 4000ft of elevation in order to celebrate my day in a cloud on top of the mountain. I had so much fun hiking, talking, CONNECTING, trying to lit the candles (with no success), receiving birthday wishes from all other parties who made it to the top, drinking hot tea I carried all the way up... Yes, I had a birthday cake, too. And yes, I carried it in my backpack along with ice pack and spoons. But it was more about a symbol, candles and fun, than about the cake itself.

I wish myself and you to have more birthdays like this - memorable, fun and non-food-centered :)