It's All Just One Big Party

Birthday party that is. Since I got back from Spain, there has been four birthday parties just in May! On average four birthdays in one month may not be that many but when you are making cakes and going out to celebrate, it's a lot! 

I arrived back in Graz on May 6th and the very next night I threw Cody a 21st birthday party. I ran around Saturday getting decorations, ingredients for my mom's famous Texas Chocolate Cake and MY new recipe for No-Bake Cookies, making reservations at Las Tapas, a Spanish style restaurant, and inviting people. (I may have to look into a career as a party planner now. Just saying, I was that good.) Ashley and I also stole Cody's keys to his flat and decorated with balloons, posters, banners, noise makers, and of course, lots of wine. It's a 21st birthday party what can I say!?

My first ever Texas Chocolate Cake

 A proud baker

Balloons! Plus Cody's roommate

The main party area

Double Duo

Marco also made Tiramisu.

This was the same place that I had my birthday party when I got over to Austria. It was a great night and we went out afterwards to a fun bar called The Office and played pool and just hung out. Everyone had a blast and most importantly, Cody had a great time. 

The next birthday we celebrated was Ryan's on May 23rd. He also was turning 21 but he didn't want to have a ton of alcohol and just get drunk (which was totally fine by me!) so he came up with this:

Junk Food Bonanza!

" We're going to have a potluck, in which attendees bring food to share with everyone else. There is but one requirement for this dish. It must be unhealthy, whether it is a greasy, fatty, sweet, chocolaty or some other artery clogging dish. You also, of course, can bring your own alcohol if you desire to celebrate in such a manner, but I simply cannot. It was also noted that we haven't had enough events for which to dress up. Thus, it has been decided that we should dress up for this momentous occasion. Never will people have looked so good whilst eating so grotesquely! If the weather is nice we can move it outside too! Feel free to invite anyone so long as they adhere to the rules and dress code!"

It was so much fun! Everyone brought something to share and I made my cake again. It took me three tries to get it right, I kept burning the chocolate base and had to go back to the store to get more butter. I'm fairly certain the cashier thought I was crazy. 

Paula, Me and Laura

Cody and I - the only ones who love country music

Juan, Kiri, Luc, Stef and Merryn

Meri, Me and Nicole

Laura, Me and Nikita

We went out for drinks afterwards and we all had a wonderful time. After spending all day baking the cake and getting the party room ready, I was partied out. It seems that the party gods weren't going to let that happen because the next week we had two birthdays back to back!

Alessia is Laura's Italian flatmate. She's one of those tiny, full of energy Italians who loves to be social. Instead of having just one birthday party, she had two! One was a BBQ and the next day we went out. I couldn't make it to the BBQ but I came out the next night, May 24th. It had been raining for an hour or so before I left the house, but I really wanted to go out and I didn't want to take the bus so I rode my bike. I didn't get nearly as wet as I thought I would going there. On the way back towards my dorm and the club, I got soaked! I had to go change and dry myself off a little but it was a fun experience to ride my bike in the rain, in the dark, in a foreign city. And of course we had a great time! We danced and danced and danced all night, literally. I came home at 4am! I have never, in my life, stayed up that late unless I am pulling an all-nighter. Needless to say, I was exhausted the next day, but I am so glad I went out and got to boogie! 

The one downside to going out to dance clubs is the amount of creepy people who also go there. Within 5 minutes of being in the club some guy grabs my butt! Nev, one of my guy friends here and who is exceptionally built, was ready to go give that guy a peace of his mind (or fist). Lucky for the guy, he had disappeared in the crowd. Lucky for me, I had Nev, Nikita and Juan there the rest of the night and no other guy tried to mess with me. Plus I know how to say no in German, and I use it generously.

Roosa, Meri, Nicole and I

The dancing girls!

The very next night we had Nicole's 21st birthday party. Nicole is the girl pictured above. We had a blast! There is this cute cocktail bar near Hauptplatz that all the guide books say to go to called M1. We decided it would be a great place to go to start the night. Ashley and I got all ready and fancied up and meet up with everyone at M1. The place was super chic and fun. The waitress however, was not.

About six of us where there to start and we ordered our drinks. Then the other half of the party animals showed up. When the waitress came to give us our drinks she asked what the others wanted. We weren't planning on staying long and so the others said they didn't want anything. The waitress turns to us and says "if you are going to take up this much room you need to order or leave"

WHAT?!?!?!?!? If that happened in the United States, I would ask to speak to a manager. It was completely unacceptable and rude. We finished up our drinks and left 10 minutes after that. I could not believe she actually said that to us. We then went to The Office Pub (can you tell it's one of our usual hangouts?) and played pool and just chatted. Around 12:30am we went to our usual dancing club but alas it was not as fun as the night before. I left soon after arriving and came home for some much needed rest.

Ashley, Stef and I

Me and Ashley

The whole group at The Office Pub

My body has thanked me for my party-animalness by having me get sick. I guess staying out until the wee hours of the night three nights in a row isn't acceptable. Regardless, I had a great time. Only one month left in Graz and I hope we still have a few birthdays left so we can celebrate!

Love,
Sara