Quarter of a Century

Well, it's official. I am now closer to the age of 30 than I am 20. When did this happen? I remember my 17th birthday like it was yesterday - junior year of high school, taking finals, having lunch with my best friends who left balloons on my car that had been written all over in the dawg lot at Bearden. Fast-forward 8 years later, and here I am living in Germany with the man I love. It doesn't seem real. Time is absolutely flying, but life is good, and we are BLESSED.

I can check off something pretty cool from my bucket list after this weekend - snowboard in the Alps. Jason and I left on a bus full of our friends at 2am Saturday morning to head to Ischgl, Austria. 7 hours later we arrived and began the day. Unfortunately, I think I had a touch of food poisoning, because much of my day was spent inside trying to keep down pretzels and water...but nonetheless, it was amazing! Luckily, my tummy problems came in waves, and I was able to get out once with Jason to snowboard fall down the mountain. Now, it wasn't my first time on the snowboard, but I could have fooled you. I was terrible. It's been 10 years since I did it, but I was sure I'd pick it right back up. I couldn't even stand at first! After a few minutes, things started looking up but by the time I finally got down, it was time to meet the rest of our group back down in the village for some apres ski fun. Here are a few pics from what I swear was Mt. Everest. We just kept going up and up and up...and I never even went higher than a third of the way to the top!

Now I realize I am from the South, but I have never seen so much snow in my LIFE! Sometimes I could barely walk through it. And it snowed all day. The visibility wasn't great, but the sun did come out for a few minutes and help a little. Now for proof that we were actually there:

me & Jason

Jason, Jeff, Mike & Jay

Jason H., me, my Jason

I guess these ski trips have been pretty notorious for their partying in the past...and this trip was no different. But Jason and took it easy and ordered pizza while everyone else danced on the bar, ha. It was so fun though. I just wish I would have been feeling a little better! The village was so beautiful all lit up and covered in snow. Here's a picture from the bar we hung out at, looking back up the mountain:

After a whirlwind 10 hours in Ischgl, it was time to get back on the bus for the drive home. We had champagne at midnight for my birthday, while a lot of partying boys sang Happy Birthday to me. It was priceless, as you may have guessed. We weren't exhausted at all, I promise! See...25 has never looked so good.

We finally got back to Bamberg around 2:30 Sunday morning, where Stacey, my sweet friend who is married to Jae, who was also on this trip, greeted me getting off the bus with a birthday muffin! It was so sweet. She was up in the middle of the night to pick up her husband, remembered it was my birthday, brought a muffin, and did I mention she is also about 7 months pregnant?! She's a stud.

I don't think I have ever slept so wonderfully in my life as I did Saturday night/Sunday morning. I was absolutely 100% pooped. But just a few hours later, it was time to get up again and head to breakfast. We tried to go to arguably Jason's favorite restaurant in Bamberg, Cafe Esspress, but our friends who beat us there called to say there were no tables. So we tried somewhere Jason and I hadn't been - der Beck - which turned out to be amazing! We got all this food for less than 6 euros...crazy!

I know what you're thinking. "Kate, it was your birthday. You really should have ordered something good...calories don't count on hoildays!" Now just keep in mind I'd barely eaten the day before, so I was really trying to make up for it, okay!? It was delicious. Our friends Chase, his wife Emily (who just got to Germany Friday!) and Ryan, and his wife Summer, joined us for breakfast, and it was a great time too. Afterwards, Chase got a pic of Jason and in front of the Christmas tree that is right behind our apartment. We were still a little tired. :)

With full bellies, we went back to the apartment and put Home Alone in while we tried to nap. I don't think either one of us ever fell asleep, but it was really nice to just relax for a couple hours! Then we went to post to meet up with Jae & Stacey to see Arthur Christmas. Let me just say this, weirdest Christmas movie ever! I had no idea what it was about, but it was just...odd. I liked it, it just wasn't what I was expecting. If you've seen it, I want to know your opinion! After the movie, Jason and I figured we didn't get enough for breakfast, and we should probably go eat a big dinner at a place called Bolero's. I had some kind of chicken in mango curry sauce and Jay had the steak. SO GOOD. After stuffing ourselves once again, we headed back to the apartment. Jason baked red velvet cupcakes, which naturally I ate 2 of and then passed out for the night.

I have to admit, 24 was a very good year. But I have a feeling 25 might even be better...

p.s. thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! I love you all, and every single one of them meant so much to me. :)