I’ve known for a long time that I’d be turning the big 2-1 while abroad. I wasn’t really sure what to expect for my birthday this year but I did know how different it would be turning 21 in Europe versus in America. In Spain the drinking age is 18, but I haven’t been carded once while abroad in a bar, discoteca, or buying wine for a picnic at the grocery store– TOTALLY different from the USA. I had an incredible birthday filled with love from all of my friends and family, here’s a little bit how it went:
May 8th 11:00 PM- I need to go to bed now so that I can wake up and it be my birthday!!! Note: this would never, never happen in the states. I would’ve waited up until midnight so that I could go to a bar and show off my fancy new 21 year old self.
May 9th 9:00 AM- Woke up as a 21 year old! My roommate, Alexa, had cut out stars from newspaper and put them all over our room and left a birthday note on our mirror. I fixed myself breakfast and headed to class.
May 9th 11:00 AM- Go to class as I normally would, not expecting anyone to give me birthday wishes since everyone in my Wednesday classes are foreign and don’t really know me. To my surprise one of my few Spanish friends had remembered it was my birthday! She said “Happy birthday, Lily! Don’t think that I would’ve forgotten.”
May 9th 2:00 PM- Homemade paella for lunch and pudding for desert, also a very cute coinpurse and necklace all from Clemen. She knows me too well.
May 9th 3:30-5:30 PM- Go to my school where I volunteer each week. Two of my classrooms sang me happy birthday in English, what a proud teacher I am 🙂
May 9th 6:30 PM- Get a much needed haircut. My friends Somer and Kelsey met me at the hair salon with a birthday hat and a traditional Salamanca pastry topped with candles. I have great friends.
Birthday treat from Somer and Kelsey!
May 9th rest of the day- Relax, make a few phone calls home, pick up a sweet package my mom had sent me for my birthday, open a few cards I got from family, watch The Devil Wears Prada in my bed and call it a night.
Thank you Momma!!
Also– just to let you all know my birthday was (in my opinion) the best weather we had had to that day in Salamanca.
The next day I had four friends from home coming to visit! I picked them up at the bus stop and got them settled into their hostel. We got tapas on Calle Van Dyke, which is a street in Salamanca completely devoted to tapas bars; you go from bar to bar and get a tapa and a small draft beer or glass of wine at each one– so fun! After this we met up with about 15 of my closest friends and hung out in the park until it was time to go out.
Thursday night I had a proper birthday celebration complete with tiara and a sash my friend Blakely let me borrow that read “It’s my birthday 21” on one side and “Dame un beso” on the back (give me a kiss!). I had a great time showing my friends around Salamanca and sharing our spectacular nightlife off.
My friend Jessica and me being the 21 year old birthday queens. Her birthday was a few days before mine.
I did have to say goodbye to a few of my closest friends that were studying here because their program had ended and their train to Madrid left at 6:00 AM. Thankfully they decided to do the right thing and stay out until their train left. Our middle of the night kebap stop was quite teary, but I know I’ll see them all again.
A very sad moment in the kebap shop.
One of my oldest friends and roommate back home, Nora, was able to stay the whole weekend before she jetted back to France where she has been studying. That was one of the greatest presents of all. Spending a long time with one of my best friends that I hadn’t seen in 5 months. Thanks for making the trip, Noragomi!!!
Nora and me hanging out in the park!
I had an excellent birthday and am so thankful for all of you wonderful people who helped me celebrate, sent me a card, wrote me and e-mail or wished me happy birthday via facebook. I am so lucky to know all of you!
Blakely and me.
lilyinspain 