Today was the day! My 23rd birthday. I had always looked at 23-year-olds as old, but now that I am at that stage in my life, I realize that 23 is not anywhere near the time where I have my life together and figured out.
And I kind of life it that way.
I woke up and went grocery shopping first thing in the morning. I needed a few ingredients for the spinach artichoke dip that I was making for tonight for my pot luck dinner!
Once I was done grocery shopping, I headed home to get ready for that evening. In an attempt to get my hair curly, I tried a new method. Instead of using my straightner to curl my hair, I used strips of fabric that I wrapped my hair around.
Thankfully, that actually worked and, after a few hours of waiting and blow drying, my hair was curly and fantastic.
The finished product!
Once I put on my dress and finished up my makeup, I got the chance to Skype home with some sisters and then my mom. It was great to see them all and to feel a bit caught up with what was going on back home.
My mom was fantastic - she had balloons, my presents set out, and a birthday cake that I 'blew' the candle out on. I miss her so much and was happy I got to talk to her. :)
My friend Nicki arrived while I was Skyping with my mom, and we headed up to the 2nd floor all together to meet up with people.
Slowly, everyone started to trickle in, and the feast began. We had a beer-cheese dip from Wisconsin, Chelsea made salsa, guacomole from Alejandro, tacos from a few of the other Valpo students (among many other things!) and then had a few desserts as well. We were all stuffed by the end of it!
Hanging out with the Valpo kids for my birthday! (and Chris)
With some of my fantastic friends for my birthday dinner
After our dinner and the clean-up, we hung out on the 2nd floor with those who ate dinner with us and with friends who arrived a bit later.
Some of my fantastic friends from Reutlingen
Roman and Anatoly walked in with flowers and champagne, Julia/Joe/Chris gave me a box of birthday goods, other friends got me cards and candy. I am so lucky to have the amazing friends that I do!
In Russia, it is normal to give someone flowers and champagne for their birthday!
How sweet is that?!
How sweet is that?!
A bit before 10 p.m., everyone left to catch the bus to the Eishalle in Reutlingen. Roman, who had rented a car for the weekend thinking he was going to Paris, drove me, Dawn, Tammi, and Anatoly to the ice skating rink for the Eisdisko!
Waiting to get on the ice!
We had SO much fun! A few of my friends had never been ice skating before, so it was fun to watch them learn. Others had very obviously been ice skating for a very long time and were speeding around the rink. Just having the music and the cool air and skating around the rink with friends all around was such an amazing way to spend the evening.
Ice skating with friends
Tammi, Allie, Eric, me, and Thea :)
Group shot of some of my fantastic friends who went ice skating with me.
Poor Chris somehow managed to put his skates on the wrong feet, so that was a story all in itself! Eric was helping people around the rink, whether it was a new skater or a few girls who wanted to learn how to skate backwards. Joe and Julia captured the whole thing by taking a million pictures for us to remember it all by.
The night wasn't over after that, though. The night continued at a shisa bar in town, and then we closed up the Irish Pub!
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