Twenty-fun! one of the greatest achievements of young adulthood for most people. You are officially legal to drink alcohol. If you had a long day and just want a glass of wine, well, you can go to the store and buy a bottle yourself. Honestly, that fun fact never gets old. Now, as the first anniversary of my 21st birthday approaches, I thought I would share some nuggets of wisdom for people who aren't 21 yet. Things I wish I had known before I became 21 years old.
It's expensive....
Yes, I know you don't have to get a drink every time you go out for dinner, or you could stay in on Friday night. But why would you? This is the first time you can legally drink, so of course you embrace every opportunity to whip out your ID to prove that you're legal. However, it comes at a great cost...literally. I enjoyed every drink and every night out, but I wish I hadn't impulsively bought everyone a round of shots that one time (just trying to be Oprah..."you get a shot and you get a shot..."). Embrace the happy hours and the rail drinks, and fingers crossed your bank account survives to see 22.
The Liquor Store is not your BFF.
Now that you can purchase alcohol doesn't mean you should buy it all the time. Yes, its invigorating to go in and know that you're allowed to be there, but make smart choices and remember it's only cool to be on a first name basis with the Starbucks barista, not the liquor store employee.
Before you walk, you must learn to [bar] crawl.
Ahhh yes, the time has come to crawl. This is adult day-drinking at its finest. Though the official dress-up-in-costumes kind only happen around certain holidays, Fourth of July, Christmas, and St. Patrick's Day, they always bring out the ratchetness of adulthood. With cheaper drinks and a long list of bars, it's easy to get carried away. After my first bar crawl I learned (the hard way) that you don't have to drink at every bar. I had the most fun when I paced myself and drank water every once in awhile and took a food break. Embrace the crawl and the craziness of it all.
Embrace the adventures and the ID-ing
Though this is very cynical of me, its kind of all down-hill after the year is over. I mean, turning 25 will be cool, because that means renting a car, but turning 21 is the peak of birthdays. Yes, you will be ID-ed {almost} every time you order a drink, but embrace it, because one day you'll look old enough that they don't ask you anymore. This year will be costly, but it will also be one of the most memorable.
Though I have reached Taylor Swift levels and have begun to feel 22, I hope that you will learn a thing or two about how to make your 21st year the greatest.
