Pre-birthday weekend!

It was a wonderful pre-finals-week weekend, which just also happened to coincide with my pre-birthday weekend. So it was just all-around a great weekend. You know, besides the 11+ hours that I spent in the library working on my 12-page French paper, finishing my editing final, and studying for my ELang final. Besides that, it was great.

On Friday morning, Laurel and I got up early to judge the poetry-reciting contest for the Foreign Language Fair. Basically that meant about 3 hours of listening to high school students recite poems that they probably didn't really understand. At least it was entertaining! Last year we were a bit too generous in the ratings that we gave out, but we were wiser this year. We only gave out one "Mention Spéciale" (but really, there was the only person who deserved it). We were surprised by one of the poems that they had to recite because it was super long and included words that I didn't even know. There were a few rather painful recitations, but props to them for learning it, er, at least attempting it!

Laurel trying to be a harsh judge. In reality, we all know that I'm the mean one and she's the nice one. Which is why we're such a good team :)

Afterwards, we got our free pastries (as payment for being judges), and Laurel even swiped us a few extras. Then I made her come with me to get my new BACKPACK!!! Woot! Remember how I got a new one last year for going on study abroad? Yep, I get a new one this year for going on an international internship. I'm really excited about it--the internship and the backpack. While I was picking it up, I ran into my friend Stephanie (my bus buddy in Senegal, for those of you who remember), and we decided on doing a weekend in Nice while we're both in France (I'll be doing my internship in Paris; she'll be in Marseille). Yeah. That's my life.

So then Laurel and I were planning on going to Costa Vida afterwards for my birthday. We got there, and I had to go to the bathroom, which Laurel seemed really disappointed about. When I got out, I walked from Fat Cats into Costa Vida and the first thing I saw was her fiance, Phil. I was like, "oh. Phil came. Cool." And then I noticed Kristina, Nathan, and Jesse were all there too! They all surprised me for my birthday!! I couldn't believe it. So we got our food and went to our table, decked out with balloons and cake and cookies. I just have the greatest friends :)

Kristina & me

Jesse, Laurel and Phil

me, Nathan & Jenny

I really love Costa Vida.

The lovely cake that Laurel made for me

And the lovely cookies that Nathan made for me. Or maybe his mom ;)

Here I am with my birthday balloons and my new backpack!

:) I was going to pick the Jamaican one, but I didn't think that would go over too well in France. What do you think about this one?

And then on Saturday, a few of my friends got together for another birthday lunch! It's always so fun to hear about what's going on in everyone's lives, talk about how we're not grown-ups yet (even though, they all really are. I think it's just me who isn't yet. oh well! One day, maybe), and just have fun together. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were in high school? It's crazy how fast time flies. Boy oh boy! Once again, I have some great friends!

Chris (+babyboy#2), Kathryn (and baby Jack), Kylee (+babyboy#1), me, Jill, Linnea

Thanks to everyone who made my pre-birthday weekend so great. I'm looking forward to birthday week itself. Despite finals week, it might turn out pretty okay.