Birthday!

Yesterday was my birthday, and while 22 is not supposed to be exciting, I have to say I think this was the best birthday I've had in a good long while. I spent the day exploring the Eastern Market with a couple of girlfriends and I'm pretty sure we could not have had more of a blast. What an exciting place to entertain the senses. My favorite purchase was a bottle of pure Michigan maple syrup. I spent some solid time talking to the vendor about his syrups and the grading system they use to differentiate them, or the color/darkness of the syrup, which is based on what time of year the syrup was collected and how long it sat before being bottled up. The man knows his syrup, that is for sure! The man in the wine shop knew one of the friends I was with and gave me a free mini bottle of champagne for my birthday! The guy in the liquor shop also gave me a free shot of vodka, haha. We toured the produce stands and the meat markets, got an "Old World Sandwich", went into several shops and made a few friends along the way. Afterwards, we went back to my apartment and were joined by more friends for a night of games, drinks, and eats. This morning, I made chocolate chip pancakes and smoky links for b'fast and then my friends and I walked 2 blocks up to the public library to hear Obama speak! Totally didn't know he was going to be in town for my birthday - he should have called. I got badly sunburned, but I have to say I'm ok with that. Afterwards, I returned to my apartment to meet up with my fam and we went out for a fantastic dinner just a few blocks down the street in the other direction, after which Dad drove us around to help me get my bearings in the city. I have to say, not only was it a fantastic birthday weekend, I am really starting to like living in the city. There are so many things I look forward to doing!