Magic in May

Graz became beautiful overnight. When I got back from Spain, everything was green, the flowers were bloomed and the city felt lighter. I was a little apprehensive about coming back from beautiful Spain to gloomy Graz, but God must have known how I felt and turned Graz into a home.

I really do feel that way. Home is where the heart is and while my heart is and forever will be in Colorado, Graz has stolen a piece of it. I've grown to love the small shops and bakeries that close at 7 o'clock at night. You get so irritated when you're watching Gossip Girl and just want some chocolate to munch on and the store is closed but then are thankful because it means you'll eat something healthy instead. I love opening my window and hearing a bird right outside my window because there's a giant tree growing, which normally would be considered a fire hazard in the United States but not here in Graz. I love riding my bike around the city, seeing people out. My friends and I are constantly making plans to spend an afternoon at the park munching on snacks and attempting to get tan. I love the family dinners we've had and how much pasta I've eaten here. I really have fallen in love with my exchange and the family I've become apart of.

May was full of good times. Everyone had just come back from their weeks of travel and it was nice to spend some time in Graz. We had a lot of family dinners and attempted to make new dishes. For about two weeks our new obsession was salad with chicken. One night I had a few people over for dinner and then of course, the paper game.

Rules of the Paper Game:
1. It must be someone famous
2. You continue to ask yes or no questions until you get a "no" answer. Then it's the next persons' turn.

Basically, you write the name of someone famous, lick the back of the paper, and stick it on your neighbors head. We then take turns guessing and it turns into hours of fun. It's become one of our favorite pastimes and the only game we play.

The whole group

Salad with chicken :) yum!

The men

The women

You can tell we have fun at our dinners. We also have been spending a lot of time at the park and just hanging out at night. We've gone dancing at clubs, listened to DJ's playing in the 300 year old building at the university, and of course went to see Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

DJ at the university. Nikita, Stef, Luc and I

Meri, me and Laura at the party at the university

Laura and Alessia at the park

Juan, me and Anna

Schnitzel Night! Nikita and I

Getting drinks after schnitzel at the pub in the park

Meri and Nicole at the dance club. With Nikita in the background

The girls of the night! Roosa (Meri's sister), Meri, Nicole and I

Nikita and Juan, my body-guards

Juan, me and Nikita

It's been a great month. I've done girls night a few times with Laura, Ashley and Paula. Paula has made us these Finnish buns called Pulla and they are delicious! I'm getting the recipe to bring home and make them, they're just that good. We're doing a dinner/photo exchange this week and I'll get even more pictures from the fun times we've had here in Graz. It's been such a wonderful experience. As time winds down and John and Zach come over soon, I can't help but reflect on how great this experience has been. But it's not over yet and neither is May. More to come!

Marco, me and Nikita doing our "sexy pose" before we get coffee on the Floating Island coffee place. It's on the Mur river :)

Love,
Sara