I'd been counting down the days until I turned 21 since 2012, when I first got my license. Don't ask me why, because I can't even give you a simple answer. I was never a big partier or really invested in the drinking and partying aspect of being a high school and college student, but for some reason, I could not wait to turn 21. Just a few days ago (hello May 13 babies, I feel like there are a lot of us) I DID! It was fun, it was glamorous, and I'm still obsessing over my photos days later. And then I got to thinking - this new age has perks! Below are 21 (it took blood sweat and tears) that I've come up with.
1. You are now officially on the same level as 18-year-olds in the UK and literally every other country around the world.
2. If you're ever bored on any given night of the week, you now have the option of nights on the town in chic downtown bars with your friends.
3. Your parents will deem you a responsible young adult on the nights you choose not to go out. (At least mine probably will. Any Friday or Saturday night at home will have them praising the skies for having such a responsible and tame young adult.)
4. You can post cute photos with your Sunday brunch mimosas on Instagram now! Pro tip: don't do it often, maybe once every three or four rows.
5. Refer to #4. Sunday brunch mimosas. That is all.
6. You don't have to miss out on 21+ concerts anymore! I'm still bitter I wasn't 21 when Steve Aoki and Blink!182 had a concert in Scottsdale in February. I watched my friends' Snapchats with bitterness and annoyance fully intact.
7. You can officially throw away your fake! I personally never had one - that stuff is expensive and attempting to lie to a huge bouncer with a long beard would not confirm my reputation as a good liar.
8. You get to wear those glitzy and kinda sorta tacky sashes from Party City that have "FINALLY LEGAL" on them. You bet I did.
9. You get to finally go to clubs to dance! Am I the only one who was mostly excited to reach 21 so I could go dancing more often?
10. Your license looks official now that it's horizontal and kind of off-white colored.
11. When your parents order drinks at the restaurant, you order drinks at the restaurant!
12. I probably won't follow #11 because the heated glare I would get from my mother would be too much to handle.
13. You get to fully participate in corporate happy hours now. I've worked on a couple political campaigns, and everyone goes out for happy hour after long days. Now I don't have to say "Sorry guys, I can't come because I'm like 12."
14. The odd looks I would receive when telling someone I wasn't 21 are now a thing of the past. I know, I legit look 30.
15. You can go to those lively pool parties with the big flamingo floaties and popular DJs at nice resorts now. Another bitter memory: I couldn't go to this sleek pool party at the W last year because I was 20. *tears up*
16. You get to post Boomerangs and sped-up Snapchats of clinking your drinks with your friends. Again, pro tip: don't post this stuff often, it's not a good look.
17. You can buy even more night out outfits now!
18. I am slowly losing steam, it is a struggle bus getting to 21.
19. Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras are now all holidays you can fully immerse yourself in. Make sure to get good costumes, buddy.
20. Your co-workers are more excited than you are that you're legal. My boss actually wrote in my card, "Don't end up in a ditch this weekend." As if.
21. WE HAVE MADE IT. Honestly, just being 21 is a perk. A milestone. Look at the reasons I have given you. You can't disagree, can you?
Most importantly, be safe with it! It's a privilege and blessing with every year that you get older, so make the best out of it. I will now go look up other articles that were written on this topic and see if I sound like my life's only purpose was turning 21 while others played it off more casually.
