The countdown is over. What's left to anticipate? To yearn for? Everyone always says after your 21st there's nothing left to look forward to, but is that really true? When you turn 16, you look forward to getting your drivers license. When you turn 18, you can finally say "I'm legal." When you turn 21, you can wreak havoc. Okay, well, not really, but you can legally drink and go to bars and clubs. And now what's left? Let's consider the options.

1. Your birthday is YOUR birthday

First things first, your birthday will always be your special day whether you're turning 16, 21, 25, or 40. You should celebrate each one with the same exact excitement. Think about it, you only have one day out of the year dedicated to you. Go out for dinner and drinks, or do something you've never done before. Make every birthday just as special as the last.

2. 21 does not equate with wilding out

For some reason, people believe they have a ticket to act over-the-top crazy simply because they turn 21. Why? Because now that they are legally allowed to drink, they believe that they can consume as much alcohol as they want, whenever they want. This shouldn't be the case. Yes, you should be allowed to go out and have a couple of drinks, but not to the point of blacking out. It really isn't cool to not remember what you did the night before. Whoever tells you otherwise is wrong. Basically, know where to draw the line.

3. Long nights out

Although you should know where to draw the line with your drinking, there's nothing wrong with staying out and having fun with your friends. You have two options. Go out to the bar and enjoy the environment. There are many bars that offer live music, which is great background noise to a heart-to-heart conversation with friends. If you aren't that into the bar scene, go to the club and dance the night away. There are so many different bars and clubs that offer completely different vibes. Go out and find the perfect match for you.

4. An excuse to eat lots and lots of junk food

Are you like me and try and watch what you eat every day of the year, but when your birthday comes around that quickly goes down the drain? As the little girl from the movie "Grown Ups" says, "I wanna get chocolate wasted," is the ideology any birthday girl/boy should have. It should be a requirement for your family, friends or significant other to buy you a cake for your birthday to celebrate, preferably with candles.

5. You can officially say, "I'm a grown-up"