Years and years ago, I think it was pretty safe to say waiting close to, or til your 21st birthday to go crazy and drink was the norm. However, the new norm for a while now is getting wasted at house parties in high school and college. I mean I had friends in middle school that would go out on Friday nights and drink. You know what this nerd was doing on a Friday night for most of her life? At home, eating some chocolate chip cookies and reading some new book I got that week. Long story short, I chose to wait till my 21st birthday to drink alcohol for the first time, and against popular opinion, I have not one regret about it.
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Going out of my comfort zone was never really my thing. As an introvert, going to a party surrounded by loud music, red cups and hammered people was something that I never found super enticing. Honestly, I never really had a want to drink. It never fazed me much. I was cool with my friends going out, and heard those occasional comments like ‘you’re going to regret wasting this time not trying it’ or ‘what are you, a 95 year old grandma?’ Well girl, I was in bed on a Friday night by 9:30 watching TV and eating cookies, what do you think?
All jokes aside though, I prided myself on waiting until I was legally allowed to drink. To be able to go out to a public bar or club, and have that tiny sense of fulfilment that my first sip of alcohol was legitimately legal and at a bar.
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And that’s what happened. I waited a few weeks after my 21st to go out and celebrate. I had the best time, and felt what it was like to get a little drunk. I met the chillest people, made best friends with my new favorite bartender (Shoutout to Jimmy at Johnny Mac’s, he’s the real MVP), and didn’t get too hungover. Pretty damn good night if you ask me.
That being said, do I regret not drinking sooner? Seeing what an awesome time I now have on Friday and Saturday nights? Truthfully, no. I’d do the same thing all over again. I’d wait. Because I liked the decisions I made then, and still do now. I don’t look back and wish I didn’t embarrass myself here, or chose the wrong choice there. So, I’d wait. I’d do the same exact thing all over again.