Maybe you're not a college student and maybe you're old enough that when you were in college the drinking age was 18 and this was never an issue. For the rest of us though, currently enduring frat parties and the anxiety of that comes with needing a fake ID to get into a bar, the agony of waiting to for your 21st birthday is something to which we all can relate.
1. You drag yourself to frat parties and pretend they'll be just as fun as the bar.
Making sure your name is on the list prior to being allowed in to a sweaty, decrepit frat house definitely gets old, along with having to endure the taste of stale beer and Franzia. Going to the bathroom alone, with the lack of toilet paper and the realization it has likely never been cleaned comes with its own issues making the agony of not being able to go to the bar instead that much worse.
2. Your stuck watching your older friends celebrate theirs long before you.
Sure, you're excited for them and it's an excuse for you all to celebrate, but you secretly wish it was you. The days of stressing about plans, hoping they would get in, and trying to find other plans if they couldn't are over for them while you're stuck behind wondering how you'll survive the wait.
3. You shop for the perfect outfit for the big night months in advance
While you know it's only one night and you likely won't care what you're wearing once you're out, you obsess over how you'll look the first time you walk in a bar and order your first legal drink. Hours and hours are spent shopping for the perfect outfit. Minor panic ensues over whether you'll be warm enough for the walk there, cool enough for the crowded bar or if you'll suddenly hate what you picked out when it's finally time to wear it.
4. The days seem to be going by slower than usual.
Whenever anyone mentions your birthday is coming up, you can't help but let them know exactly know how many days until it arrives, right down to the hour. It's not like your counting or anything.
5. You stress about how to get the perfect Instagram on the day.
So many thoughts run through your head despite knowing your followers will likely barely glance at your photo as they scroll through their feed: Do I buy those jumbo letter balloons I've seen nearly every other girl pose beside? Can I manage to get a picture of the exact moment I pop the champagne? Is it completely unoriginal to use "twenty fun" in my caption?
6. The day finally arrives.
GiphyThe wait is over. Wow, that was fast. It suddenly seems ridiculous that you spent so much time obsessing about the time when you could finally order a drink without having to focus on not looking guilty. You secretly hope you'll get carded just so you can let them know that YES you are legal.
