Buon compleanno a mi e grazie mille a tutti!

Making a birthday wish!

Hi everyone! I promise to post a blog about my trip to Amalfi with my parents soon, but for now I just want to write a short little something about yesterday: it was my birthday and definitely one of the best birthdays ever!

I have to say how unbelievably wonderful I felt to receive such an outpouring of love from my family, my friends at home, and my friends in Rome. I started the day like any other Tuesday, with a quick trip to the market for some fruits and vegetables (side note- I will miss my open-air market so much when I leave!). I came home and then left again to meet some of my friends for a lunch of delicious sandwiches from a shop near school. They all surpised me with a wonderful way to start celebrating being 21- a bottle of prosecco and a carton of ananas (pineapple) juice to make a drink that I created one night called "Ananas mimosas." We sat in glorious sunshine in the park across from our school and enjoyed a fantastic sandwich, a fantastic drink, and fantastic company. After a quick class I went home to relax before getting ready for a wonderful night out with my friends.

All dressed up for a night out!

The whole day just kept getting better, as I was greeted in my apartment with balloons, Disney decorations, flower decorations, and real flowers from my roommates. Additionally, they had bought a tray of assorted pastries from my favorite gelato and pastry shop, Romagnani. I also got many emails and email cards from friends and family, making me feel connected to home even though I wasn't there.

5 out of the 6 roommates out celebrating with me

The plan for the night was to go out to a restaurant called Dar Poeta, supposedly the best pizza in Rome. Sadly, when we showed up at 7:30 with a group of 10, we were met with an hour wait. What to do? Go stroll around Trastevere, one of the cutest parts of Rome, famous for its small cobblestone streets and restaurants, and grab a drink before dinner. We went to a bar that served a drink in a tiny chocolate cup and then to a different bar where my roommate offered to by me a delicious mint-chocolate drink called an "After 8." Thanks to the cries of my friends going "it's her birthday!" they actually gave me the drink for free. Afterwards, we slowly made our way back to Dar Poeta where our table was ready. My friend and I shared two pizzas: a Taglialegna (mozzarella, mixed vegetables, and sausage) and a Dar Poeta (mozzarella, zucchini, sausage, garlic, and chilli pepper- spicier than my friends assured us it normally was). Regardless of the spice, both pizzas were fantastic but the Taglialegna won by a landslide- it was delicious! For dessert, we shared what I called my "Italian Birthday Cake"- a calzone stuffed with ricotta and Nutella. To say that it was tasty is the understatement of the century. It was magic. The other part of the magic with this dessert: when it came out my friends all started singing, and then others in the restaurant started singing, and then everyone applauded, even the Romans who had been staring from the other room as these crazy Americans made a very vocal display of celebration. While I blushed instantly out of embarrassment, I can't tell you how funny and wonderful that moment was.

Being sung to by the restaurant

After the restaurant we went to a place called Long Island Bar, where they let me be the bartender! I was able to mix two drinks that my friends and I all shared, one fun, fruity drink and the other a mojito. It was so great to get to be a bartender on my birthday. While we were all sitting at the bar, some of my roommate's friends came, all dressed in suits and ties, to sing happy birthday and celebrate. I honestly don't know most of these guys that well, but to see them all come out fully dressed up was absolutely hysterical and flattering!

Learning how to bartend.

The final part of the night I decided that I wanted to do something inherently Roman, something I could only do on this birthday because I was spending it in Rome. Several of us went down to the Pantheon and then to my favorite spot in Rome: the Trevi Fountain. Not only is it incredibly magical at night, but it is the ideal place to make a birthday wish. I can't imagine a better way to start my 21st year.

At the end of the night, I couldn't help but be filled with such happiness. As cheesy and sentimental as this is about to get, I have to put it out there: I am the kind of person who lives for those around me. My family and my friends mean everything and more. I would do anything for the ones I love and I am beyond thankful for what they do for me. And more than just what they do, but who they are. I am so unbelievably blessed to have incredible friends at home and in Rome who fill my days with laughter and fun. On top of that, I have a family who loves, supports, and encourages me and fills my life with such happiness. To all of you, my friends and family, know that you have made my birthday wonderful in the same way that you make my life so great every single day. Thank you for everything. I love you all!

Stay tuned for a post on my trip to Amalfi soon!