You’ve been dreaming of it your whole life. You imagine your 21st birthday will be filled with your first alcoholic drink -- it tastes sweet and bubbly. You spend the day with your closest friends at the finest restaurant, wine tasting and giggling the night away.

That is until you actually take a sip and discover that alcohol is, in fact, strong and bitter. I remember my first sip of alcohol (not on my 21st birthday, sorry Mom) and the twisted look I must have had on my face afterward. My dreams were shattered. Sure, alcohol could be sweet and bubbly if you find the right kind, but for the most part, it was hard to swallow.

I didn’t realize how easy getting alcohol was until I went to college and found friends that were either 21-years-old or like everyone else, had a fake ID. I never found the need to spend $100 and get a fake ID because it was so easy to hand someone a $20, tell them what you want and get it five minutes later. My naïve idea of alcohol being classy and grownup was so shattered when I saw drunk frat guys pouring it down girls’ throats.

That being said, I wasn’t really all that excited for my 21st birthday. Sure, I could finally order a glass of wine with my dinner and sure, I could have a beer with my dad at a baseball game, but nothing really changed all that much.

Alcohol, I think especially as Americans, is something we idolize because we aren’t supposed to have it. The fact that it’s illegal makes us want it more, and then when it is legal, we don’t really care as much. It’s knowing that we aren’t supposed to have it that makes it cool and dangerous, and it makes us want to do it even more.

I turned 21 last week, and although it was exciting to order a Mimosa with my brunch and go buy a bottle of rum at Harris Teeter, I spent the day with a few friends. A few people texted me things like, “I hope you have such a good time that you don’t remember anything tomorrow!” and, “I know you aren’t sober right now, but happy birthday!” In reality, I spent my 21st birthday in a local bar with a few friends, we sang a few karaoke songs and called it a night before midnight.

Call me boring and lame, but I guess I didn’t want my day to revolve around alcohol and I also wanted to remember my birthday. Although ending up in a strangers’ apartment with no recollection of the night before sounds wildly exhilarating, I was happy sharing a drink with friends who make me happier than alcohol ever could.

Cheers to being 21 and having fun!