It’s that time of year again, the new semester has started. A new year, but the same great crowd packing the bars. But within this mass are those who are finally tossing away the fakes and embracing the use of their actual IDs. And with that comes the beautiful wright of passage of your 21^st night. As a girl you get the honor of being bestowed with a sign. One with 21 crafty things that you must complete within the night out and about downtown. That is all great, but how do you keep up with this girl after being the oldest in your group, already being 21 and older for a while, and your turn up level is not as high as this young members of your group?

There are all kinds of things that run through your mind as you step out onto the street and approach the first bar. First, giving yourself a mental high five for wearing comfortable, runnable shoes to keep up with her sprinting through the crowd yelling, “It’s my birthday!” One good thing is as you make your way around, people are so giving and are buying her birthday shots and just including you in on it. So free drinks for you! But wait, you’re old now and downing multiple shots hits you a little harder then you expected. But she is getting those checks on her list “to dos” and you’re just as giddy as she is when she gets another thing done.

Of course being the older one in the group makes you the photographer as well. So you are snapping the whole night so when she doesn’t remember the night the next morning, you've got the memories. You will be the one who gets to relive and retell all the crazy things she and the other youngings do that night. You are expected to be mom, and to lead her away from the crazies and encourage her to drink but not get sick. Because you will hold her hair, but you really don’t want to.

By the end of the night you are feeling young again and living vicariously through these 21 year olds and you actually able to get as lit and party just as hard as the birthday girl.

Being the oldest has it perks and having the younger kids in your group just helps you stay young, so embrace those nights out with the 21 year olds because soon you’ll all be old and it will get too hard to try to relive those wild nights.