My 21st birthday abroad

It seemed all the more daunting, my 21st birthday, one of the biggest ones in America, and I was going to be away from home.

By this point I had two major circle of friends, one were my flatmates and the other were my friends from church.
I hid as long as I could the truth of my birthday. I wasn't sure I wanted people to know, but then again I did not want to spend it alone. Finally I caved and admitted in a public friend renioun that my birthday was literally the next day, October 8.
The whole room grew quiet, they looked at me with disbelief, how could I just spring this important information on them?
I stared at them sheepishly, sorry?
Quickly the girls began planning my amazing "surprise" birthday breakfast.
With a 6 hour difference I was not sure what type of phone calls I should be expecting from my family. It was tradition to have all my family call me at 4am, the moment I was born.
Thankfully, the 6 hour difference did dampen the years long tradition.

I was taken out to Harvest the next day, a classic Eggs benedict ended up being the chosen breakfast. With two close friends, I breathed in and embraced my 21 years. I was surrounded by newly found friends.

I walked around the mall waiting for that one phone call, my mother and sister. My near and dear family that I missed with all the aching in my heart but I knew they would want to me to enjoy my birthday, so I went shopping. I walked around the fairly new mall with amazing weather. There ended up being a boy serenating Love Yourself by Justin Beiber and it was too good to pass up.
After listening to the talented boy I decided it was time to check out the infamous beach of Swansea.

I walked aimlessly to