On August 30 of this year I turned the big 2-1. For most college kids, turning 21 is a huge point in their life. Most have already drank and been drunk dozens of times by this monumental birthday. I was different, though; I had never had even a sip of alcohol until my 21st birthday.

I had made a pact when I was five that I would never drink. Throughout high school or community college when all of my friends would be drinking around me, I never even thought about it. It was just a thing I never wanted to do and my friends accepted that. I was always the designated driver--which my friends and I would joke that was the only reason they kept me around--and even though I wasn't drinking, I still had fun at what parties I went to.

It wasn't until around two months before my 21st birthday until I even considered drinking. I was blocking the beer and wine section at work and stopped in front of the Mike's Hard Lemonade and thought, "Man, I love lemonade; that would probably taste really good." I never drank it when my friends offered it to me, and I never really thought about it again.

Then I moved to UNC Wilmington. UNCW is a beach college, a party school. Within my first weekend here I had gone to four frat parties. Two of my roommates (whom I love to death) offered me sips, I declined. I hung out with some new coworkers who were tasting different beers and they lined each of them up in front of me once they realized I hadn't been taste-testing with them. Again, I declined. That was two days before my birthday.

On the day of, I was debating with one of my roommates for 30 minutes about whether or not to drink. While I was thinking about the more serious side of things (becoming an alcoholic, which runs in my family and is the sole reason why I had never planned on drinking), I realized that I was more concerned with the social aspect. I was that person who had never drank before. I mean, I've never met anyone who hasn't drank before! While a huge part of who I am is that I don't drink, my roommate made a valid point: drinking on my 21st birthday wouldn't change who I am. I can still drink on my birthday and say that I don't drink. Just because I take a shot on my birthday doesn't mean I have to drink all of the time. It won't change who I am.

So after my roommates and I had some amazing sushi, we went next door to a bar where I had my first alcoholic drink ever. I took two shots (and downed them like the champ that I am) and later, my friend bought us a six pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade (which wasn't what I was expecting). It was fun experiencing something I've never done before--that doesn't happen often anymore. I was glad that my three roommates where there as well as one of my friends of seven years. You can ask him; he never thought that day would come.

Part of who I am is that I don't drink. My roommate is right; just because I had two shots and half a beer on my 21st doesn't mean that it changed who I am. While I enjoyed it, it's not something I want to do often, which is completely okay even though it's not the social norm. But, at least now I don't have to be afraid to take a sip of my mother's White Russian or my brother's (supposedly) really good beer.