My favorite holiday of the year is my birthday.

Well, it is not just my birthday, it is my wife's birthday as well and that's what makes it so special.

Years ago my wife and I decided to take turns "hosting" our birthday.

The host is responsible for every facet of the celebration, from conception to implementation to cleanup.

If hosting the holiday challenges your creativity, then being a "guest" tests your patience.

For the guest, there is absolutely nothing to do. No reservations to make, no cards to write, no gifts to buy. Being the guest can be quite liberating, but it can also be anxiety-provoking. If you are the type who needs to be in the know (like me), it can be delightfully painful.

My wife was in charge of this year's celebration and when she told me on Saturday morning to pack a travel bag for the weekend, I was more than surprised. With two trips planned for later in the year, a third seemed unfeasible — but I did as I was told. Within minutes we dropped off our daughter at our friend's house, drove past the airport and went straight into Waikiki.

Right from the start there was something different about this birthday. Everything seemed strangely familiar, yet somehow foreign. It was like a fairy tale — we traveled no further than 20 miles from home, yet it felt like we were worlds away.

We recognized all the street names, knew all the major hotels, but felt like tourists nonetheless ... and we liked it that way.

It was exciting to be a stranger in a known land.

From the moment we checked into our room on the 16th floor, we knew that we had escaped. There was magic afoot!

With each passing moment the world of the known peeled away. The mundane tasks of daily living disappeared. There was no soccer practice, no clothes to wash, and no yard to rake.

Waikiki lay stretched out below us and we took immediate advantage.

We "played tourist" and cruised the streets for the entire afternoon, the highlight of which was the new Beach Walk on Lewers Street. From dank to swank, this section of Waikiki was nothing like I remembered in the past, which was perfect for our little getaway. We were not trying to relive old memories, we were trying to create new ones, and the reality was that Waikiki had changed enough that we could do just that.

We ate at new restaurants, shopped at new stores and danced at new nightclubs. We spent just one night and two days away from home and managed to get away from it all.

On Sunday, when we returned home, we were refreshed and ready for more fun. But first we had to make dinner.

Unfortunately, there was no food in the fridge — no leftovers from the previous night.

We decided to eat out instead, but before we could get too far we had to fill the gas tank.

Suddenly our world came crashing in on us.

I turned to my wife and we shared a knowing look. The fairy tale was over and the mundane had returned. We ate takeout.

After dinner we hunkered down for the night. I put on my pajamas and mindlessly threw my clothes into the closet hamper. I couldn't help but remember the day before, when magic was afoot and time and space collapsed.

As I went to turn off the light, I looked down and I swear I saw a glass slipper.

I looked closer but it was gone, just like our weekend escapade.

Still, I managed a smile. I know that our tough life is really not that tough after all and that a little bit of magic can go a long way.

I can't wait for next year.

Michael C. DeMattos is a member of the faculty at the University of Hawai'i School of Social Work. He lives in Kane'ohe with his wife, daughter, two dogs and two mice.