Turning 21 is always seen as a huge milestone in everyone's life because even though one legally becomes an adult at 18 years old, not many feel as if they are one until they are 21. Even though 21 is basically only a milestone because you can legally buy alcohol and literally nothing else changes, it is always a birthday that everyone awaits and celebrates to the max. My 21st birthday just passed (July 23rd) so here is my review on growing a year older and the way you feel the morning you wake up as a 21 year old and not just a 20 year old.

Turning 21 is probably one of the most fun experiences I've had because you just feel free. You can have all of these new experiences and just be able to do what you want without restriction. You never have to be the one to walk out of Walmart while your friends are buying drinks, or the designated DD because you're too young to go to bars. You can just go.

The eve of my 21st birthday, my best friend picked me up at midnight so that I could go and have my first drink. It was so cool walking into a bar when I literally had been 21 for less than an hour (and if you go by my birth certificate, negative 9 hours). Then I went out again the next night, which I guess was actually the night of my birthday, and it was just as amazing as the first.

The one thing with turning 21 that not many people think of is, just because you are 21 doesn't mean everyone else is. Since I am home and not at school most of my friends are underage which meant that we either needed to find a place that let in underage people with us, go to a bar that we knew the people at, buy alcohol and drink at home or just not celebrate with those friends at all. It was decided to go to a bar that let in underage people, and if it wasn't for that bar I don't think I would have had the amazing experiences I had.

Turning 21 isn't like the movies, you don't walk into the bar and everyone just knows its your birthday and starts buying you drinks, especially if you're already with a big group of people. It is your friends, family and whoever else you are with or near that buys them for you. That is, if you're even an extrovert where you make it known that you're now 21.

Even though no one is throwing beers and shots at you, it is still a great time where you celebrate your loved ones, and they all celebrate you as a person. The whole point of birthdays is to celebrate that you made it this far and just celebrate that you existing makes people happy. Everyone is just drawn to wanting to make you happy on that day because it's not only your birthday but its your 21st!