The Milestone Years
13 – You are officially a lovely (but not really) teenager. You expect more independence and responsibility to be granted to you at school, from friends, and especially your parents.
16 – FREEDOM! You can finally get behind the wheel of a car and drive off into the sunset… if it’s not past curfew. You can officially get a job at a handful of local retailers and you feel more grown up, but you are still not an adult (ugh).
18 – Oh, yeah. WE MADE IT. You are officially considered an adult and have been granted voting privileges. Most likely you are heading off to college or need to start a real job (ouch). With adulthood comes the responsibility you’ve been expecting all of this time except now you need to fulfill it!
21 – The year we have been waiting for. The turning point of all turning points for transitioning out of your adolescent years (well… for most of us). You can finally throw out your fake ID and walk into the bar with confidence.
We reach important milestones in our life that are meaningful for various different reasons. As young men and women, each time we reach one we want to be at the next. There is no limit to this madness. Once you’re 16 you want to be 18 and now you’re 18 and are just itching to turn 21.
Why? Because there is another privilege that you have not been granted waiting for you at the end of the tunnel.
What do I look forward to now?
I have officially reached the peak milestone year. I am now 21 years old weighing all of the possibilities in front of me. Who knows what I will actually decide to do (other than write this blog for you). There are so many options! But at 21 you question which year you will look forward to next. All of your privileges are (pretty much) granted except for your future AARP card. But, yikes, let’s not jump that far ahead. Right now, I’m going to balance the expectations vs. reality of turning 21.
Expectations vs. Reality
Expectation:
Bottoms up! I can drink that whole bottle myself, hangover free, because it’s my 21st birthday.
Reality:
Know your limits because there are, undoubtedly, repercussions to drinking too much on or after your birthday. Sure, get tipsy and dance around like it’s the best night of your life (I will), but make sure not to make a complete fool of yourself. Being the birthday girl or boy doesn’t make throwing up and suffering a major hangover any more pleasant.
Expectation:
YES. I can finally go to the bar and order drinks every weekend (aka Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night in college) with my friends.
Reality:
First off, if you’re like me and were born in September, the majority of your friends are a year younger than you. This is a major bummer for most of us, but can also be a blessing in disguise. Why? Because bar drinks are bank account murder. If you’re not getting the cheapest beer on tap, you will be spending $50-100 bucks a night.
Expectation:
I can finally look amazing when I go in to take my drivers license photo because my last one was a complete and utter FAIL.
Reality:
Your DMV photo is probably still going to be one of the worst photos you have ever taken. They have a really skilled way to take hideous photos. They will catch you at the very moment you were looking away, scowling, or have your eyes half closed.
Expectation:
My parents can no longer lecture me about drinking because I am legal. TAKE THAT!
Reality:
Your parents are 100% going to continue asking you a million questions. Not because they don’t want you to drink, but because they’ve been there and done that. They understand the struggles and stresses of being a young adult.
Expectation:
The best birthday of them all means TONS of gifts, right?
Reality:
You are at the age where most of your family believes you are old enough NOT to receive gifts. For some, this may have ended when you turned 18. Of course, this doesn’t include parents and grandparents. So… when friends and family present you with classy bottles of booze and small gestures of love appreciate them!
Expectation:
You can now strut into the bar, hold out your ID and blow by – no problem.
Reality:
Hey there, baby face, you aren’t going anywhere! You will still be carded and questioned at many of the places you go. That is the downside to looking young, but it will come in handy in the future. Make sure to stay confident because they can no longer turn you away – you’re legal now, rock it.
This will be one of the best birthdays of your 21 years (probably the No. 1 contender). This birthday, however, is about much more than celebrating your ‘first’ drink – it is about all of the wonderful individuals who guided you here. They deserve a big hug and a toast!
If you have awesome parents, like me, they will be ecstatic to celebrate with you! So here’s to you mom and dad for keeping me in line all these years.
Cheers!
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