That was the promise of an idea that was hatched six months ago: to throw a party to celebrate a birthday and create memories and re-connections that will last a lifetime.

Milestone birthdays, I felt in my heart, should be as much about “being” as they are about “having”. So for LA’s fortieth, we aimed to have an experience to remember. Not a luxurious vacation. Not a new diamond necklace. An event – a shared experience among friends – to remember. And it took a little arm-twisting and a promise of no surprises – but I think we succeeded.

We started with a great city and perfect party venue – James and Mark’s lovely condo, high overlooking Vancouver (hands down, one of the most beautiful cities in the world). We added some dear old friends and wonderful new ones – from all over the country. A case of Veuve and some scrumptious food was all it took. A chain reaction was set in motion.

The weekend – all 48 hours of it, give or take a few – was a remarkable experience, even more fun than I could have hoped. Our guests came, drawn by their individual connection to Leigh-Anne, only to discover that they were part of a larger group – a fan club, if you wish. Giddy with excitement, we drank that Veuve, we ate that food and we reveled in the discovery that we weren’t alone in our fandom.

But then something else happened. Like charged particles, we began connecting with each other and forming or deepening our own relationships. The LAP fan club, as it turns out, is a pretty cool group and we know how to have fun. Eh, don’t you think?

So, to James and Mark we say THANK YOU for opening your home to us and being so hospitable.

To our friends, thanks for coming so far, for so little time together, to have so much fun.

And to the universe, we cannot but be grateful to have been so blessed.

Say it together: amen.

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Note: James was first off the mark with a blog post and pictures from the Friday night kick-off, to Day 2 of the Leigh-Anne Fest, to the big party, to the day after. More pictures are coming from me – apparently I can’t blog and party at the same time.

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