It happened! I finally turned 21! I’ve become an actual proper grown up, a real adult, and with adulthood comes obligation. I’m supposed to understand mortgage rates now, and how to do complicated things at the bank without calling my dad. I should be able to buy light bulbs and use the iron without burning a hole in my jacket. I have to start cleaning once a week and airing things and stop putting posters on my wall in favour of nice pictures of sunsets and replace my ‘vintage pictures with rude captions’ calendar with one featuring pictures of puppies peeping out of wellington boots. Oh God, I can feel the weight of responsibility crushing down on me as I type… But less of this existential nonsense; I didn’t begin this blog to debate my existence. I want to talk about how I celebrated my birthday, which is much more fun, wouldn’t you say?
I certainly did my big two one with a bang. Several bangs in fact. Party time began way back in July with the customary and always awesome family BBQ, in which I had the most amazing chocolate cake baked for me by my cousin. It had a firework candle and it tasted like melted dreams if dreams were made of solid Green & Blacks. Celebration number two came in the form of a surprise party thrown by my delightful friends, something which I knew absolutely nothing about until they were popping party poppers over my head and showering me with balloons. Another excellent day, filled with love and another impressive cake and wine in teapots. As if that wasn’t enough, towards the end of the summer and about a week before I left for Germany, my mum and dad took me for the fanciest of fancy meals at Langar Hall as an extra birthday treat. Twenty one has certainly been an excellent birthday.
However, even though I’d already celebrated to the max, I still got my very own Germany birthday. Last Saturday I took a trip to Münster for what was most definitely the best day I’ve had in Germany since I got here. First off, as my present, I got treated to a trip to the zoo, which was nothing short of amazing. I mean, with a sea lion that could do handstands, a ‘Guinea Pig Opera’ in the petting zoo and a shop called “Zooverniers”, how could it not be? We fed tropical birds from tiny cups of nectar, saw the cutest baby orang-utan, laughed at the dedication of the Germans to their massive cameras, pissed off some Germans with massive cameras by jumping on a wobbly bridge, played British Tourist Spotting* and watched one penguin give another penguin a cuddle. I also got my very first German birthday card (‘to the Chocolate Monster’, thanks guys).
After the zoo, the night was still but young, so we went and bought cheap alcohol from Lidl and got drunk. Hilarity and pizza ensued, but I believe that some things, such as the terrible German brandy, the three -way spoon in a single bed and the candle penis should really belong only to that night. I’ll say this, however: I haven’t laughed that much in a good long time. My actual birthday was understandably less raucous, what with having to go to work and things. I still had a lovely selection of cards to open though, as well as a long-awaited Skpye chat with Charlie and one or two nice surprises. Apparently there are still more in the post, so my birthday hasn’t stopped even now.
I originally thought that my twenty-first would be a washout, that I would be sad and alone in Germany and that it wouldn’t get celebrated at all. As it happens, I’ve never celebrated a birthday so much in my life. So all that remains to say is thanks to everyone who sent me a card, or a gift or a facebook message. Thanks to the Münster lot for a wicked day. Thanks to everyone a home who took the time over the summer to celebrate with me. You’ve all made me feel so loved and so special and I hope I can do half as much for you all on your birthdays. Lots of love to you all. Peace out. :)
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*In the first group of Brits we spied, one man was taking a photo of a diagram depicting elephants having sex. The second group we saw were clutching cans of Stella and wading into the children’s petting zoo. I’ve never been so proud of my nation.
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