How to Survive Your 21st Birthday
There’s one birthday that every American looks forward to a little more than the rest, and that is their 21st. Unlike the rest of the world, the United States decided that we have to wait until this age to be able to legally consume or purchase alcohol. What this means is that every college student in the country begins their countdown until this magical date as soon as they step on campus. We put an immense amount of pressure on that birthday. It has to be wild, you have to be belligerently drunk, and if anyone remembers it the next day you have failed miserably. As fantastic as this sounds, I would like to be a little bit of a downer for a second and remind you that alcohol poisoning is a very real and very dangerous thing. Yes, you want to have an amazing time with your friends and celebrate your long awaited freedom, but you also want to be able to see your next birthday.
I personally am what some may call a lightweight. As a petite, 5’3 girl, getting thrown into the drinking world was no easy task. People seem to overlook the fact that you might not be able to keep up with them and you really have to look out for yourself. With my experience, I have compiled a few tips on how to get through your 21st birthday safely without sacrificing any of the fun.
1. Carb up.
Today is not the day to continue your paleo diet. You need to eat all the carbs you can get your hands on so that your stomach doesn’t freak out when you dump a bunch of vodka in it. Drinking on an empty stomach is quite literally a recipe for disaster. Don’t do it.
2. Drink water like it’s your job.
Not only will this help your inevitable hangover the next morning, but it will help your body process the alcohol in general. Educators always tell us to “drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage” but sometimes that’s difficult to track. Just make sure you chug a nice gallon or five before heading out and then drink more when you get home again. If you want to be extra kind to your future self, put a glass of water next to your bed to eliminate unnecessary movement.
3. Use the buddy system.
Do not let yourself get into a situation where you are left alone at any point in time. Make sure you are going out with good people who won’t let you wander into traffic or the arms of that guy you swore you would never go back to. This should be a happy event and friends don’t let friends get into trouble on their birthdays.
4. Pace yourself.
No matter what the crowd is saying, you do not have to take 4 shots at once. You are 21 now and peer pressure is not a valid excuse anymore. By this age you probably know yourself well enough to know your limits and even though it’s your birthday, you shouldn’t be pushing them to the point where you are dangerously drunk.
5. Sharing is caring.
This is my own personal favorite trick that I picked up on my birthday. I quickly noticed that when it’s your 21st, people love to buy you drinks. If your hand is empty, it won’t stay that way for more than a few seconds. Eventually your body can’t take it anymore (again, know your limits), but that won’t stop anyone around you. At a point I was given one too many, so I turned to my friend and said “I cannot drink this,” to which she replied, “If you can’t take it, just throw it over your shoulder. I’ve done that before.” Instead of creating a slippery mess, I found another friend that I could gift the drink to. You are in a bar full of broke college kids, someone will take your extras and you can avoid ending up on the floor.
With these tips in mind, your 21st will hopefully be a night to (somewhat) remember!