23rd Birthday

Due to previous crappy experiences with birthdays, I tend to approach these days with low expectations. I’m happy if it is a simple, un-complicated, non-dramatic day.

My best birthday was my 20^th. It was a normal Wednesday in the life of a college student. The only special thing I planed was getting someone to fill in for me in the dish-room.

Normally I would go to the gym on Wednesday evening to play volleyball. However, my roommate had to go do some sort of event that for some reason she expected to be hard to deal with emotionally. Her Dad had died the previous summer, and although I had no idea what that had to do with this event, I reluctantly agreed to be in our room waiting for her when she got back that evening.

She returned and seemed rather down. She insisted I go with her to the lounge to microwave some food and I complied. SURPRISE!! That little stinker and my other friends had planed a birthday party for me!!

Looking back now, what made my 20th birthday special wasn’t the party, pizza, ice cream, or games. It was special because my friends loved me enough to throw a party for me and they even managed to surprise me. I had surprise party was when I was 12 or so, and I figured it out and therefore was not so surprised.

This year I approached my 23^rd birthday with my typical low-expectations. Since I had just arrived in America Saturday evening (after traveling since Thursday), I expected to be tired, jet-lagged, culture-shocked, and probably sick. Due to the time-zone change, Saturday was 36 hours long, and I was awake for the last 20 hours straight.

Tiffany picked me up at the airport and we spent the night at Ali’s house. Surprisingly I slept 8 hours that night 10-4 + 6-8am. It was a soft, warm bed, with a fluffy pillow, fleece blanket and a down comforter. I had died and gone to heaven. I woke up feeling great!

The weather was warmer than I expected, I had a new skirt to wear (I bought it in Delhi with my last 100 rupees = $2) and I borrowed a matching shirt from Ali. It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, the air fresh and clean after a spring rain, and the tall snow-capped mountains were bigger and more beautiful than I had remembered. Health-wise I even felt great…or at least better than what I now consider “normal.”

We went to Ali’s church. It had been the 1^st church I visited when I arrived inIdaho for my D-school a year and a half ago. I have changed a lot since that day… but that is a different story. I enjoyed an English church service, and the fact that no one asked us to speak, share testimonies or help with the children. We were just normal visitors.

It didn’t feel much like my birthday…probably because I was confused as to how I ended up in America. Oddly enough there was no cake, gifts or cards (I’m sure there are cards waiting for me at the office). I did have cake in Vnsi when they celebrated March birthdays, and I just happened to be there…

Today was also my first birthday spent away from my family, which made me feel rather grown-up, but sad because usually on birthdays my mom would make delicious Éclair cake and my favorite meal…although at the moment I don’t know what my favorite American meal would be…

After church we went out for lunch and Ali made sure they sang for me, and I got free ice cream.

Then we did our shopping to re-stock on the necessities of life – food and toiletries. After 1 year of convincing, Ali had agreed to get her ears pierced, but only if we brought her earrings for India, so we did…you would think today was her birthday :)

The high-light of the day was going to Cold Stone for supper yummy ice cream!!

We said “good-bye” to Ali and headed up to Cascade. I drove, because Tiffany was tired (you would think she was the one with jet-lag). After dark, we arrived at my new house…I’ll tell you more about that later…