Turing 21 is one of the biggest milestones for young adults. We wait for the day that we can say we are finally of age and have so many expectations of what it is going to be like to turn 21. As the time gets closer to our birthday, the excitement is overwhelming. So overwhelming that it spills over into other parts of your life and, soon enough, everyone you know is made well aware of the fact that you are turning 21. In between all the excitement and commotion that is the upcoming of your birthday, there is a moment in which you realize that you probably won't be doing anything spectacular. It is that moment that you realize all the pressure there is in turning 21.

Thanks to movies, television and social media, there is an unrealistic expectation of what turning 21 is supposed to be. While most expect to go out and live it up, the reality is most of us are just to busy. We don't get to go out and party like they do in the movies, the main reason being that some of us have responsibilities. We are so wrapped up in being 21 and being considered an adult that we forget that we already are and we are as busy as most full grown adults.

With 20 to 40 hour weeks, we rather just take a minute to sleep or spend time with our family who we have not seen in a while, but we can't help but feel like we are doing it all wrong. We wait so long to be able to go out, we watch the movies and make plans of an elaborate birthday bash, but when the time come, all we want to do is go home and rest. It doesn't help that while some of us have this busy life style, our friends are the identical pictures we see plastered all over the media-out having fun, partying, going to Vegas, posting insanely cool Instagram pictures, all the while we are sitting at home, in sweats and a baggy shirt, after a long work and school week.

The stuff we see in the media and entertainment is fun, but it is not what this milestone is all about. It's about realizing that you are on a new level of adulting that people will automatically hold you to higher standards because you are an adult. And while this can be overwhelming, deep down I beleive that is why we are so excited to turn 21, because it means we are finally seen as equal to the rest of the adult world. So yeah, the idea of going out to party and live it up seems cool, but it's not the most important thing. Sometimes we have to realize is that it is okay to not have the big birthday bash. Sometimes all we really need is a glass of wine and a couch full of the people we love most giving thanks for making it to another year and wishing for many more to come.