[disclaimer: as I was traveling alone and am a woman, I chose to post this after I returned from England] I dunno if you know this, but I took this grand trip to England for my birthday. Let me tell you, what a way to ring in twenty-six! One of my pals from school is getting her PhD at Oxford, and she’s basically living my dream. When I planned this trip, I knew I wanted to try and see her, so when she was free this weekend, it felt perfect. Here’s the thing about my birthday: I don’t tell a lot of people about it. I have several close friends…