I Can Now Legally Drink Alcohol, But I Can't Rent A Car

The long-awaited day had finally arrived. The day that determined what new items I could purchase from the local grocery store, which areas within a venue I can enter, and what activities I can do after yet another long week of being a college student. I am now officially 21 years old.

I was very excited in the weeks before my birthday, but it was almost like any other ordinary day when the day rolled around. I had moved into my new apartment the day before, so I was still a little swamped with important tasks to complete and boxes to unpack. On that day, I woke up, went through my usual morning routine, and headed for work.

Once I got there, it was fairly uneventful. I had mentioned before to a coworker that my birthday was coming up, and she ended up baking everyone some brownies to celebrate in a box topped with "Happy 21st Birthday, Abby!" My other coworkers wished me a happy birthday and asked about my plans for the evening once my shift ended, and overall the day in retail went by pretty smoothly.

Later that night, I went to dinner with my family and ordered a marionberry cocktail. We had a lovely evening in the outside portion of the restaurant under some twinkling fairy lights. As we drove home, I was thinking aloud about how strange it was to be 21 and be able to experience the new things that come with it. Evidently, being able to rent a car without expensive add-ons is not one of them.

I don't feel all that different since my birthday, but it has left me reminiscing on the earlier years of my life. As a kid, all you dream about is being a cool adult that can do almost whatever they want. As an adult, all you dream about is not having to schedule appointments or pay taxes in favor of playing video games all day.

Life does not feel short, but it can go by faster than you think. Instead of spending all your energy thinking about silly things you will do in the future, think about how you can make yourself happy today. Maybe you can't rent a car yet, but you can take control of your own life at any age.