Happy Birthday to Me!

So this is what 22 looks like: You're home by 9:30 on your birthday. (I know that can mostly be attributed to my birthday being on a Thursday/Most people were up early this morning for work and also have to work early tomorrow morning, but it still felt weird.) Speaking of work... Tomorrow I am meeting my head teacher at 1:30, and then I officially start my job as an assistant Kindergarten teacher on Tuesday! I feel like a lot has happened since I last wrote. I'm just going to start with yesterday (the 27th).

I came into the city around 6:30PM for Charlie's Birthday. Charlie and Grace met me at the train stop, which was really sweet. That night Jessika met us for sushi at a place called Blue Fin Sushi Bar. It was the first time I had seen Jess since Charlie's graduation party, and I hadn't talked to her since I'd been back from Europe. I think it was one of the first times (besides my birthday tonight) that I had an "I'm a grownup" moment. We're all working full-time jobs in the city, in our own apartments, and Jess and Homie will be getting married this spring. I ordered a seaweed salad and Vege Tempura Maki: "a teardrop-shaped maki brimming with asparagus tempura, sweet potato tempura, shitake mushrrom, pickled yamagobo, pickled dykon, spinah and inari. It was very tasty, and it definitely filled me up. That wasn't all though. Grace ordered Charlie, (Karen) and I a cake from I believe Alliance Bakery. It was a hazelnut cake filled with fresh blueberries and strawberries, iced with chocolate fudge, and the birthday wish was written in hot pink. It was so cute, and it tasted even better! Jess wasn't feeling well, so she headed home. After a second piece of cake, Grace, Charlie and I watched What Happens in Vegas until they both went to bed. I finished it up and headed to bed myself. Since I hadn't slept well the night before, I silenced my phone.

I slept in this morning and woke up to a good number of text messages and a few voicemails, in addition to a card from Charlie. (Grace gave me mine last night.) They kept singing praises of Letizia's Natural Bakery, so I went there to get an Odwalla and a muffin before I headed over to my new apartment. The carrot raisin muffin I got was very good. It was actually the only option I had. (I guess that's what happens when you want a breakfast food around noon.) Oops! Then, I bought my monthly cta pass and headed over to what I now call home. :) I only have a suitcase's worth of things in my room right now, but I can't wait to fill it with all of my things. I don't really have much to say regarding the afternoon. I didn't have a key to go anywhere quite yet. Then, tonight I met Anique, Ashley and Lindsay at Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant. It was so delicious and different. I had only had Ethiopian once before. It was an interesting dynamic because Anique loves Ethiopian, and Lindsay and Ash had never had it. Unless they were being polite, I think it was an all around success. The honey wine was so delicious as were the sambusa appetizers and the vegetarian platter that I ate. I love being able to get a variety of tastes all at once.

I'm actually getting tired, so I think I'm going to go to bed. Thanks to everyone who helped make my birthday special! xoxo