Quarter Centenarian

I'm not so great at posting in a timely fashion these days, but we'll just chalk it up to the fact that I'm busy... and that the sun decided to come out and play. I mean, how can you resist its bright and shiny personality. It makes me feel so warm all over. That's what she said.


Anyhow, my birthday was a couple of weeks ago and I made a big deal of it pretty much like I always do. I turned 25 and to me that's got an "I'm a quarter centenarian, bitches!" attitude written all over it. It was a weekend-long celebration of epic proportions.


Actually, scratch that, it was a Friday night celebration of epic proportions followed by two wonderful sunny days and two half-assed nights of celebration. What can I say, I started off at a sprint and it sure as hell caught up with me.

Doesn't matter though, I looked so thin and hot.
I kid... but no really...

So a couple of weeks before the big celebration I realized my actual birthday is on a Monday. Monday's are crappy days no matter who you are or what you do and the fact that my workday doesn't end until 8:30 p.m. on Mondays... Well I sure wasn't going to be celebrating then. 


Instead, I planned a fabulous dinner followed by drinks on Friday. I bet you can't guess where we went...

Ok you totally guessed it. I have a total obsession with the monk beer. 

We had goulash and drank IPA and all my friends were there (all like 10 of them...). It was such a very foreigner-living-in-the-Czech-Republic birthday. Which is to say: It was awesome. 

I got flowers and a bottle of wine. :)

I also got a gift I totally wasn't expecting... We'll just say it's of a personal nature and leave it at that. I'm pretty sure my gramma has access to this on occasion. 


One friend even bought a round of Czech rum shots for the group. (I know what you're thinking: "Czechs make rum?") Thus begins the epicness.

My first Czech rum shot... Whose idea was this? 

I entirely blame this for what turned out to be an amazing night slash Saturday morning. Well this and the subsequent 2ish Liters of beer I had at The PUB. And, yes, I did see the sun rise. 

It rose right over Narodni Trida while I was waiting for the tram home. 

Then there was Saturday. I slept for all of six hours and the decided I couldn't waste another moment letting my body actually rest (I mean, who does that?) so I went to brunch.

Eggs benny and a bloody mary, you are my life force.

Then I decided to meet my friends at the park where the Million Marihuana March Music Festival was being held. 

Look at all the smoke clouds everywhere. 

Useful information: I know how to spell marijuana, however the festival creators spell it with an 'h.' The March was supposed to be a million people (uhm, that's 1/10th of the Czech population... ambitious much?) and they were marching for legalization, obviously. However, it is legal here to smoke pot and to grow up to four plants. They just want it to be fully legal... At least that's how I understand it.


Oh and I don't smoke pot (just not my thing).

And my friends gave me a pirate balloon!!!

Anyway, it was awesome. There were a bajillion people there and lots of great music. I drank some hemp-based beer (strange, but nice...) and chilled out with my friends just listening to the bands. Then the plan was to go out dancing at one of the biggest clubs in Prague which I had yet to go to.


Well, sometimes plans fail.


You know what happens when you start a marathon too quickly? You don't finish. So when you stay out until 6 or 7 a.m. and then wake up six hours later only to continue the party, the party ends early. By about midnight when we were on our way to the club, I realized I couldn't hack it. 


Alas, I'll make it to Cross Club someday.


Then Sunday was just your typical Beer Garden Sunday. No crazy celebration, just a few beers and some cards with friends. I think Sunday might be my favorite day of the week.

I love my typically Czech Sunday view.

Then there was the finale. Monday I woke up stupid early because my neighbors decided to start construction (or something that involves a hammer) at 6 a.m. I was full of excitement and determined to have an awesome day so I got up and found this present in front of my door!

Best roommate ever!

Awww. Minus the hammer it was a great start to the day. I had coffee and breakfast before work instead of on my way and I even got to look nice. (I did my hair and wore a dress! What what!)

Beyond that though, it was just a normal day. But a good one. At the end of the day my roommate asked me which has been the best of my 25 years and I think I'd have to say this 25th one. 

• I went to nine different countries and saw some of the most amazing things in the world. 
• I moved to Prague officially and got a job within two days. 
• I love my job. 
• I have made a ton of amazing friends and managed to keep in touch with others from way back when.
• My family is doing relatively well and my dad's cancer even went into remission. 
• I feel like I've really learned a lot about myself and my limits and I'm prepared to take whatever life throws at me.

All in all, the only major downers I can think of in the past year are that I drowned my MacBook and I'm broke. I'm used to being broke so, overall, I think I'm doing pretty damn well. 

So here's to what I hope will be an amazing 26th year of life and another year of seizing the day in an effort to blow 25 out of the water.