BIRTHDAY DAY AT THE ZOO

My 22nd birthday was earlier this week, although for some reason I kept thinking I was actually turning 23 - god knows where I got that from. I didn't know what to do and having your birthday in December makes it all that much harder, as it's freezing outside and everywhere is super busy with crazy Christmas people.  

I decided that my boyfriend, Jamie and I, should go to the zoo, as I had been wanting to go for a year or so but we had never got round to it. Luckily the weather was really good and the sun was even shining, even though it was absolutely freezing, at least it was dry and sunny! There was also hardly any people there so it was really nice to just go around, wherever you wanted, without having to fight the crowds to see the animals. We decided to feed the Elephants and Giraffes. Jamie was really up for it but I wasn't so sure I wanted their wet, slobbery mouths/trunks that close to my hand. I decided to just play photographer while Jamie fed the giraffes but when it came to the elephants the woman just shoved food into my hand so I kind of felt like I had to. Thinking back, the giraffe feeding involved a lot less contact so I would have been much better off feeding them. It turned out that I actually did quite enjoy feeding them and even fed them a few more times. 

It is quite surreal to see such amazing animals so close up, obviously it would be much better to be able to see them in their natural habitat but it's as close as we can get and I'm pretty glad for the huge enclosures and fences separating us. 

We stopped at Pizza Hut on our way home for dinner and of course ice cream factory. It did occur to me that my 22nd birthday could have quite easily been a childs birthday any age under 10, with a zoo trip and then ice cream factory, but oh well! I never do anything for my birthday so it was nice to actually do something a little different for the day.

I think there may have been a bit of a connection between Jamie and the giraffe, they're looking straight at each other in one photo and further down Jamie looks so happy to be feeding him! It also looks like a kind of selfie of the two of them in the one where they're both at either side of the photo. 

Definitely more of a unique choice, but the Giant Anteater is one of my favourite animals to see. I think maybe because it's such an odd looking animal... sorry Giant Anteater.

I think this lion was actually yawning at the time, but it looked pretty cool, as if he was roaring. 

When life gets too much, just lay on your back with your feet up in the air - don't ask questions, just do it! 

One of my favourite animals are Tigers, we hunted far and low for them. In other words we followed the little signs around the zoo trying to find them. Right at the end of the day we managed to find them, by this time they had had enough of the day and seemed to be ready for bed, curled up inside. This was pretty good for us as we could see them so clearly, as they were right up near the viewing glass, as you can see from the photo. It's unbelievable how huge they are and thinking that such a beautiful and really dangerous animal could be that close to you.