An American birthday in Paris

Celebrating an American birthday in Paris at a British bar, tres international!

So I'm finally 21. I had a surprisingly wonderful birthday, especially considering the fact I started the day a little sad to be spending it away from home.

For Valentine's Day, we had a "bon-bon exchange" among the USC group. Everyone brought some kind of pastry or sweet and we exchanged. Some girls also brought cider for my birthday, and everyone sang to me and gave me a group gift. It was really sweet.

I had my Sorbonne course from 5 to 7 p.m. and there's about 10 other USC students all in the same class, so we talked about meeting up later to go out for my birthday, but first everyone had to go home for dinner with their host families.

It took a while to get home from the Sorbonne and I was worried I was going to be late for dinner. When I got there, the daughter was standing by the door and quickly ran into the sitting room, telling me to follow. To my HUGE surprise there was everyone from the USC group in my apartment shouting "Bon Anniversaire!" (Happy Birthday). My host mother had organized a surprise party for me! She had contacted the ACCENT group to get all the other students emails, and almost everyone came. I was so shocked and flattered! She worked really hard to plan the whole thing and make all the hors d'ouevres and desserts without letting me know. It was amazing.

After the party, we all went out to the bar area in the Latin Quarter. First we went to a Canadian pub because some girls thought the staff there would be more sympathetic to a 21st birthday, since it means nothing to the French. Next we went to a bar called The Frog and the Princess. It's an English bar but it's really popular with the French and foreigners. It was student night so it was packed. They also had Valentine's Day drink specials... we had the Love Sucks cocktail, very amusing and delicious.

We didn't stay out too late because we all had class in the morning, but I definitely had a fun-filled night that qualified as an appropriately celebrated 21st birthday (by American standards that is). So even though it was a little strange to spend my birthday away from my friends and family at home, everyone here helped me have a wonderful but different kind of birthday. And I am still so amazed and flattered by the kindness of my host family; their efforts really made me feel like a special birthday girl, even in a foreign place.

My surprise birthday party