My Three-Day Birthday Celebration

I'm really not tired and everyone I know is either gone or asleep right now, so I guess it's the perfect time to write about how great my birthday was. It started on Thursday when Megan took me out to dinner the day before my birthday because she was going to be gone all evening Friday and all day Saturday for a volleyball game. We ate a huge meal at Red Lobster and split a desert, the biggest piece of chocolate cake I'd ever seen. It was so good and I really think I ate more in that one meal than I had eaten all week. The best part of the week came later that night. Because so many people were going to be away or hanging out with their parents Friday night, my roommate arranged a surprise party for me on Thursday night. She lured me downstairs by saying that Emily really needed to talk about something important, then when we got downstairs Nina left and said she had to go to the bathroom then disappeared and didn't come back for more than 15 minutes. Of course I never thought anything about that. A couple of the juniors that live on east quad came over to Em's room with the excuse that they'd never seen our room before and just wanted to check it out while they were in the neighborhood, and I didn't think any of that was weird either. So Nina came back and we went upstairs to show them our room, and when I opened the door, there were over twenty people standing in the room yelling "Happy Birthday!" It was amazing. Practically everyone I ever talk to was standing in my room and I was seriously dumbfounded and speechless. It took me a few seconds to realize what was going on, and when I finally did, I couldn't say anything besides "Wow!" and "This is amazing!" I was so shocked. I felt like Dorothy when she wakes up disoriented at the end of The Wizard of Oz and points at people saying, "You were there...and you...and you too!" She had rounded up all of my friends, bought balloons and banners to decorate, and had a cookie cake with candles and chips and pop. It was incredible. Everyone knew about this at least a day ahead of time, and I never had the slightest clue. I honestly have the most amazing roommate ever! Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" and I got presents and everything! It was so perfect, exactly what I had always wanted. I really can't believe it happened, and I think it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me, especially for my birthday. I was so excited that I couldn't stop smiling all night and I had trouble sleeping because I couldn't wait to see what the next day would bring.

Friday, my real birthday, wasn't too bad either. My parents surprised me by sending me a cookie cake through the dining services. It was really good, but harder to get rid of than the first one, I guess because people don't want cookie cake two days in a row. It's almost gone now though, so it's ok! Anyway, Julie wasn't on call like she originally thought, so she took me out to dinner, along with Lauren. Our breakfast club went to dinner! So fun. We ate at Ruby Tuesday because I had never been there and Julie said she really liked it. After that, we went to see the play Top Girls put on by the theater department at school. The play was very emotionally intense and emotially draining, but it was performed spectacularly by the students. I enjoyed it, but then again I really do like watching plays in general anyway.

Saturday my parents came, bringing me presents from everyone in my family. I was so excited because I got a digital camera, which I've been wanting forever! We went shopping at Target and around that area to pick up a few things I needed, then headed over to Easton. I really wanted to eat at the Cheesecake Factory because everyone says it's incredible, even though the wait takes forever. We got there and just missed eating with Nina, Emily, Brooke, Laurie, Laura, Lauren, Jenn and their families because they were all leaving right when we got there. The wait was about an hour and forty-five minutes, so I had to time to go across the street and check out Barnes & Noble :) (even though I got four books for my birthday and probably won't have time to read them until Thanksgiving break). After what seemed like forever, we got to eat, and the food was very very good, but I'm not sure I'd like to wait that long on a regular basis. Emily told me that I had to try a piece of cheesecake no matter what because it was amazing, but I couldn't eat another bite after my dinner, so I got a piece to go. I guess I'll eat it tomorrow.

So now I'm here, sitting in my room in the dark except for my desk lamp because my roommate is asleep and nearly everyone on my buddy list is gray when I really just want to go out and talk to anybody. Tomorrow brings more fun because I'm going to breakfast with my parents, then it's Bid Day. Unfortunately after that I have to go back to reality because I have a test Monday in my British lit. class :( Back to the reality of studying, class, tests, and no more parties, shopping, cake, or presents. It's all okay though because I had the best pre-birthday, birthday, and post-birthday days ever! It was so much more than I ever could have imagined, and I'm so thankful for all my friends and family who made it such a wonderful time. If the first few days are any indication, then 20 should prove to be an amazing year!