A Warm Welcome: The last year of my twenties

Birthday dinner #1

   What a wonderful day!  I was not feeling super excited about my birthday because friends from home are not with me nor is the family and I was not expecting folks here at the school to remember or make a big deal about it.  Boy did I under estimate them!

La ruta (the van I take to school with other teachers) was decorated, as is our tradition, for my birthday and my friend Liliana bought pasteles de carne and pollo and juice for everyone to enjoy.  What a delicious way to kick off the day.  They played the Colombian national anthem for me because I'm now official I guess having had a birthday in Colombia and then the Happy Birthday song.  So fun!

When I arrived to the teachers' room at the Middle School my madrina, María Elena, jumped and screamed "Happy to Jou"!! and gave be the biggest hug ever, as did the other teachers that were there.  I had gifts waiting for me - earrings, slippers (see the pic), a beautiful scarf (I'm wearing in my pics), a necklace and treats and notes from my students.  Soooo kind and thoughtful and more than I ever expected.  My dear friend Natalia L. and others also had a cake waiting for me that we enjoyed after lunch and will also probably enjoy for breakfast tomorrow. :)

Afterschool my friend Pacho drove me to pick up some gifts that I had made for me students (buttons and t-shirts) and we enjoyed a beer together and caught up on so gossip and the happenings of our lives...it's been awhile.  We then met up with others for my birthday dinner of pizza and beer.  Excellent!

The birthday wishes did not stop with my friends at the school - I received texts, facebook messages, e-mails, calls, gifts at my house and photos from friends around the world (seriously: Germany, Luxembourg, Vietnam, India, South Africa, the U.S., England, and more!) wishing me the best in the year to come.  One friend even sent me a blog post that she wrote for me.  I received it while at school and proceeded to cry...in school...but it was so nice.  Check it out.

Overall, it was quite an incredible birthday.  Thank you so much to everyone for helping me to make it so special.  xoxo

Relaxing with my new slippers, after a wonderful birthday!