For me, holidays never seem to go as planned; my best friend told me my Halloween costume made me look like a TGI Friday’s waitress, my crush didn’t ask me out for Valentine’s Day, and my parents decided this year that I was too old to still be getting presents from Santa. I’ve learned that usually my favorite days are the ones I don’t plan – and therefore don’t have high hopes for. If these Northeastern collegiettes experiences are any indication, I shouldn’t plan too much for my 21st birthday either. Here’s how some spent their 21st birthdays, in their own words.
What the plan was: I was supposed to go to my boyfriend’s school’s fall dance and then go to the bar at midnight. In the morning (still my birthday), my boyfriend was going to make me a mimosa and breakfast in bed.
What actually happened: My boyfriend fell asleep between the dance and the bar and came out anyway, but was clearly ready for bedtime. My friends were supposed to meet us at bar, but only one actually came because the rest had already gone home from the bar they were at earlier. The friend that came didn’t stay long because his girlfriend showed up really drunk and fell onto a broken bottle. In the morning (still my birthday), my boyfriend ended up getting food poisoning and spent my birthday in bed with me trying to make him feel better. I ended the day writing a paper.
-Anonymous, junior communications major
What the plan was: My friends and I all went to this dive bar in the financial district that we all loved at the time because we could go could there and not get carded.
What actually happened: All went as planned, shockingly! No crying or puking, but I did have to be accompanied home at 12:45 because I thought it was 3 am and we were keeping the bar open….
-Lauryn, senior journalism major
What the plan was: OHE! Black-out city!
What actually happened: I planned to get rowdy and did.
-Alexandra, senior business major
What the plan was: I was going to have a party with many friends, then a group would take a limo around town for a few hours, followed by clubbing at midnight when I turned 21.
What actually happened: We had a party where most of my friends came; dressed were spilled on, tears were shed. Most of us got into the limo, had a blast driving through Boston and stopped at midnight to go to a bar. We got refused from one bar, my brother traded rum for a hotdog, and then we finally got into a bar. There was fighting, and some people got kicked out soon after going in. I ended up singing with a band playing at the bar, danced for a while, and then went home to eat a surprise cake my roommates made me. It didn’t go exactly as planned, but was still pretty awesome.
-Ayla, middler international business major
What the plan was: To go to a bar at midnight.
What actually happened: I didn’t drink as much as I thought I was going to, but I had a good time and only puked once after the car ride home.
-Anonymous, middler pharmacy major
What the plan was: I was working at a camp for the summer, so I planned to go to the local bar if I could get the night off.
What actually happened: I didn’t get the night off because my bunk went on a camping trip; I was sleeping in a tent.
-Heather, senior psychology and education major
What the plan was: I spend the weekend with my boyfriend and our friends drinking and smoking pot for three days straight.
What actually happened: I got dumped 3 days before my birthday, so my dad got me a room at the W Hotel in Times Square. I sat in the hotel bar all day drinking on their dime, and when my friends showed up, we racked up an $800 bar tab. We ran down the street at 3 am and stole pizza from the co, rner pizza place. The night ended with my friend and I both puking in the bathtub, crying ourselves to sleep.
-Anonymous, senior communications major
Photos: http://www.boozeparty.net/2010/08/crunch-21st-birthday-party.html
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