Finally Twenty One!!!

I am now legal to buy drinks anywhere around the world now. I've been waiting 21 wine-less years to spend this birthday in a country WHERE IT IS NO BIG DEAL AT ALL?

Honestly, I thought at this point of my stay in France, it would still be too early (I've only been here two weeks) for me to have made any good friends, and that I would spend my 21st birthday drinking wine alone in my bedroom, playing online poker all night. But alas! Finding friends in France turned out to be not as scary as I thought. Unlike what we learned in French class (and although it is true that french people can be kind of frigid) I've stumbled upon a bevy of beautiful French and international exchange friends who have been great friends to me.

So this weekend in Aix there is some kind of promotional thing where all of the museums in the city were free, which was great except for the fact that that meant there were a lot more people around. My friends and I went out on the town and saw some museums and artisans. In Aix, they always have people playing live music on every street corner, and we watched this great jazz band for a while.

Here are some pictures of sculptors we saw

So after we went to the famous french artist Cezanne's workshop to pass some time. I'd already seen it on my Ubaye Valley trip so I just wandered about the garden for a bit. But let me just let you know what the workshop of Cezanne is like. So you go into this old house, and they are like THIS IS WEAR CEZANNE PAINTED THINGS, LOOK! HE PAINT THAT DESK OVER THERE! HE USED THIS LADDER WHEN HE COULDN'T REACH THINGS! SOMETIMES HE HAD HIS CURTAINS OPEN, AND SOMETIMES HE SHUT THEM AHHHHH.

So while I was big chillin in the garden, my Aussie friend Albert showed up with maybe the hugest bouquet of flowers in the nation! Which was really nice, but I was also a 45 minute walk from my dorm, and this thing was like half the size of me. I was poking innocent french poodles one the street, and knocking out adorable french kids in the face with this huge thing.

I went home to Skype with my parents and I also got the chance to talk to my beautiful Amigos Jessica Nicholls and Lauren Whitmore which totally made my day. I miss them more than words can describe. How I wish I were in Arkansas having mountain adventures with them! And then I got a beautiful video from the my East State street friends (how I miss that apartment!) which they all mooned me (Including CoCo the dog) and it literally brought a tear my eye. I miss those guys so much. And truly, how did they know that all I wanted for my birthday was to see all of their bare bottoms?

So then we had a party at my friend Remi's apartment-- he was so nice to let me do that, since the dorms can be so small and not good party environment. I received presents like fancy wine, french CDs, leggings, a beret (very french), a beautiful rolling stones shirt, and these great wine classes that the bases are shaped like the Eiffel tower and they light up with different colors (I have been drinking wine out of Mason Jars, so this is a very classy step for me)

The party was gay cowboy themed, but I only remembered to tell Ben

Remi who graciously gave me his apartment for the night

Then we went out clubbing, where I preceded to not make out with any french guys. Le triste. I did however, go into the fountain Rotoundre.

The only photo evidence. My butt was very cold

All in all, birthday freaking success. Thanks again, everyone! The next drink is on me.