Twenty-one is a symbolic birthday for obvious reasons. Buying alcohol and getting into bars becomes more fun and less of a chore knowing there are not any anxieties attached. Sure it's fun to drink and go out with your friends in college, but what is the protocol for once you come home? How does drinking change when you're with high school friends, or people you do not socialize with on a regular basis?
Where I am from, the night before Thanksgiving might arguably be more of a celebration than the holiday itself. Thanksgiving Eve is a time where college kids and 20-somethings go bar hopping and celebrate being home with each other while the rest of their families sleep/prepare for all the cooking that is to come the next day.
So, why am I not excited to finally be legally allowed to participate in this unwritten "holiday?"
I think it's because I'm so happy to have found friends in college that make me forget about my so-called "friends" back home. But because I don't want to socialize on this very special holiday with them, does that mean that I shouldn't go out either?
Being 21 might be great and all, but this year I'm not thankful to be old enough to go out of Thanksgiving Eve; instead I'm thankful to have great friends at college that make me want to stay in the night before this November holiday.





















