Hands Down, Best Birthday Yet!!

Every Sunday I go to my friend's apartment to make dinner and call my parents (she has perfect internet so the call from my computer is crystal clear, unlike the patchy connection I get at my place) and this passed Sunday was no different, so I thought. At 9pm I set off on the trek back as I do each week but when I came home all my roommates were mysteriously sitting in the kitchen as if they were anxiously waiting for me to arrive. I figured they were just being strange (I've got some odd roommates, they're great, but crazy) so I said a quick hello then went to put my things down in my room. Much to my surprise there was a banner above my bed saying "Feliz Cumpleaños" and a note on one wall saying "Yayyyy you're 21" and a note on the opposite wall with a big smiley face signed from 3 of my friends, and balloons scattered everywhere!! I was so taken off guard, and ecstatic at the same time - what a great way to end a weekend! Monday morning, my actual birthday, my alarm went off at 6:30am as usual and I stumbled into the bathroom to wash my face only to find a note on the wall saying "happy 21st beautiful, how does it feel to FINALLY be 21??" (I'm the last of my friends here too to turn 21) and the day only got better from there. At the bus stop before school I got a birthday button that had lights on it (sort of obnoxious, but I can't complain), my teacher sang/danced to me, when I got home 2 of my roommates had bought me a delicious cake and wrote me a sweet note, then at 6 I headed to Bilbao to go out to dinner/to a fútbol game. I went with my friends Lauren, Lyndsay, and Angela (the 3 who schemed up the room decorations on Sunday) and we ate at a Kebab place - everyone has raved about them but I had never had it so they convinced me to try it. It's sort of like a thick pita with either Chicken or Gyro inside and vegetables and 2 types of sauce. After dinner they surprised me with a cake and musical candles and a really cute picture of the 4 of us. We got to the fútbol stadium right on time but couldn't find our seats because the tickets weren't very specific. After we finally found someone to ask we got yet another surprise - they were FRONT ROW!!!!! I legitimately could not have been more in heaven. We were sitting on the side of the stadium basically on the field - when they would go to do a throw in or corner kick if I had reached out I could have touched the players! And the entire first half (when Bilbao scored their 3 goals) was played on our side of the field...holy cow...I think it's safe to say this was my best/favorite/most amazing birthday so far!!!! The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have people from home here to celebrate as well, but now I get a belated celebration next semester :) Here's some pics of the day!! I think my friends got some good ones with me actually in them so I might be adding/swapping a few in the next day or so. Off to do a bunch of homework in preparation for my mom to get here THURSDAY and go to PARIS Friday - Tuesday :)