Best Birthday Ever!

     I know my birthday was technically Tuesday, but my friends said that this weekend would be my celebration, because we can't exactly celebrate properly during the week when we have classes.
     It started Friday when I hung out with Pino (the boyf). We were supposed to go see The Woman in Black 2, which I hear is good but not as good as the first one. I mean, I figured as much. How can it be as good if it doesn't even have Daniel Radcliffe?? Anyway, that's not the point. So I checked online before going into the city to see what movies were in the theater and at what time, and it was there at 8:30...but no. When we show up, they're not showing the movie...And I don't just mean at that hour...like they're not showing that movie in that theater at all. I don't understand. So in the end, we didn't go to see the movie, but we just hung out in the city for like three hours, which was fun and perfect, just like always.

     On Saturday, I woke up at 8 AM, which let's be real, I wasn't happy about. I went to see my friend's futbol (soccer) game, which they lost, but oh well, who cares, can't win 'em all, right? But it was fun to watch. Soccer is one of the very few sports that I actually like, alongside lacrosse and wrestling. I love hearing them yell at each other in Spanish and thinking that holy crap one of these guys could someday play for Bilbao or Madrid or Barcelona or whatever. Spanish soccer is about 8000000x better than American soccer..

      Then later, at about 3, I met up with 5 of my girlfriends in Bilbao and we went out to eat at Fosters Hollywood, which is an American restaurant. I mean yes the food is great, but let's be real, no one does American food like us Americans. My best friend here was with me, and she's actually from Mexico, so we were getting a kick out of the "Mexican" part of the menu. In the end, we shared nachos and then I get the Mexican steak tacos. It was actually really good, but not as good as the Mexican food from back home, and I'm sure not NEARLY as good as the food from where my friend lived. Not only was the food amazing, but so was the time that we had together. The time flew by as we talked and laughed and shared secrets and had a great time all together. God I love all of these girls. They are absolutely amazing!
      Right after, pretty much all of us girls went out to Anaconda, the discoteca that we always go to on Saturday nights. There we met up with Pino and all the other guys. It's always an incredible time. I love being cramped in a room with a bunch of other people, everyone dancing and drinking and laughing and just having an amazing time. That day was the game between Bilbao and Madrid, so when we first got there, they were playing the end of the game on the big screen, and in the end, Bilbao won!!!!!!! Everyone was going craaaazy. Then later, when we were dancing, they dedicated a song to the birthday girl, and I didn't think anything of that until they said my name...everyone just looked at me and started screaming and I was like oh okkkkk. It was pretty awesome! Toward the end, the DJ told all the lovely ladies to go up on stage and dance, which sometimes they do, but we always stay on the dance floor. This time, my friend Olatz grabbed my hand and drug me up to the stage. We got up on the stage with a ridiculous amount of girls and ended up seeing two other friends who had gone up. The four of us just stood up there dancing and laughing, like always. Then after the discoteca, we always end up hanging out and later all catching the metro together, which is really fun. I swear anything is fun with these people.

 Carla, Fer, yo, Esti, Miri, Nagooo

 Mi gemela, Fer

 Carla, Miri, Nago, yo, Fer, Esti

 Mis chicassss, Esti y Fer

 Nago, yo, Esti, Miri, Fer

 MI AMORCITOOO, Olatz

Las gemelas, Jone y Olatz, yo y LOPEEEEZ

      After that crazy day, I stayed over at my friend's house which is always a good time. This morning I had to catch the bus, but the thing is, on Sundays, the bus only comes every hour. I JUST missed the bus at 11:00, like literally by 5 minutes, so I ended up having to wait an hour. But I actually didn't mind. For one thing, I found a cute little cafe/bar that had a breakfast special. For another thing, it's been SO nice this weekend. It's been so cold and rainy, which is normal for winter, but this weekend it's been hot, but not so hot that you're sweating or anything, and it's also been sunny. So I could walk around and enjoy the weather.

      It was an amazing birthday. Normally I don't do anything for my birthday. This past year, when I turned 16, my parents DID throw me a surprise party, which was amazing. But this birthday was just so great. To be able to spend it doing the things that I LOVE now, with the people that I LOVE now, it was such a blessing. Thanks to everyone who made this birthday special, and, well...Happy Birthday to meeeee! 

OFFICIALLY 17!!!!!

     So today is my 17th birthday!!!! I don't know why I feel like turning 17 is a big deal, but it totally is for me. I think every year I feel like it's a big deal even though the only birthdays that really are are when you turn 10 (double digits), 16 (idk why), 18 (legal adult), 21 (drinking age!!), and 50 (hi, happy birthday, half your life is over). 
      I know people who go out of their way to make sure no one knows it's their birthday, and they refuse presents and celebrations. Yeah...I'm not that person. Everyone knows I like attention, so I love when it's my birthday. Everyone is always really nice and they hug you and wish you a happy birthday and get you stuff. I love that. It's a day all for me. Maybe that makes me selfish but oh well.
      So I had a great birthday thanks to all the amazing people in my life. I've gotten many "happy birthdays" from friends and family back home, and it's weird to see that this year most of them include "I miss you" or "I can't wait to see you" or "We'll celebrate when you get back" when they usually just say "Happy Birthday." I also got a bunch of birthday wishes from friends and family here, which is special because you see the difference in how things were going at first and how they are now. I mean like if my birthday was at the beginning of the year, no one would have said happy birthday or really even noticed. But I've been here for 6 months and I've made best friends and even have a boyfriend now, so things change I guess. That's why it was so special this year.
      I walked into class today and everyone was yelling happy birthday at me and hugging me and giving me the typical Spanish dos besos (two kisses). But here's the thing, I think a lot of people back home remember the whole "ear pulling" thing that a lot of older teachers and people like that used to do to us. Yeah, well that's a thing here. Like if it's your birthday, you better watch your ears. I can't even tell you how many times I had my ears pulled today. The girls are usually really nice about it, but the guys will half rip your ear off. One kid pulled them really hard but was pulling exactly where I have my cartilage piercing so I basically almost punched him, and another guy wasn't even counting or pulling properly, just pulling my ear all over the place. I literally told him if he didn't chill out I wasn't going to have an ear left when he was done. 
     Some of the girls from class drew up "Zorionak Brianna" on the board. PS Zorionak is Basque for Felicidades which is like Congratulations, but it's used for a lot of things, one of them being birthdays. Anywho, right before our break, two of my girlfriends from class just got up and left like 5 minutes early, and we were all so confused because you can't just leave class, but I didn't think too much about it. Then when it was time to leave, they came in with like donuts and some type of pastry thingies with candles and sparklers in them, singing happy birthday in basque. I was so surprised but it was so precious. 
      Then when I got home, I had two little presents on the counter, which I did NOT expect. It's just a new journal and a really cool pen that also is like a pointer/controller thing for my phone and a flashlight or something. I don't even know, but it's awesome. It meant a lot not because it was some huge gift, but because well 1) I didn't expect anything and 2) they really know me to know that I would need or want that. 
      Also, my host sister almost every day goes to buy fresh bread to eat with lunch, and when she went, she also bought another pastry and put candles in it and made me make a wish and blow it out. It was really cute.
      The only slight downsides to my birthday were that 1) I have practically no voice, so when I talk I sound like a man and my throat hurts, 2) we had school, which no one wants, and 3) skype wouldn't work with my dad. But other than that, I had an absolutely amazing birthday here in Spain!!!
      And I wasn't even planning on doing anything for my birthday, but apparently we're going out this Saturday, so I absolutely CAN NOT wait, because I always have an AMAZING time with my friends here, and who wouldn't wanna go party with Spaniards? Like helloooooo. 
     But anywho, thanks to everyone that made my birthday special. I love you all way too much.

       Oh by the way, I'M 17 YEARS OLD OH MY GOD!!!!!!!

 Bc who doesn't take pics with their best friend on their bday?

 I'm psycho

 I love her because she embraces my craziness

 Absolute best friend in Spain, Ferrrrr <3 

 I'm ugly but my bf is cute

 What's a bday without a selfie?

Moliii and Pinooo, my boys.

(PS Molina is the one who almost ripped my ear off)