Gone are the days of fake ids and dinners without wine. It has finally happened. I have at last reached my 21st year. My mother warned me that the time after my birthday celebration was to be very anti-climactic. Despite this gloomy assumption, I have quite enjoyed my few days as a lass of legal drinking age. But let me not get ahead of myself, for turning 21 in a collegiate atmosphere such as Knoxville is an occasion to remember and share.

My twin sister and I were the first of our friends to reach this coveted age, so the event was one of epic proportions. It was arranged for our closest friends to travel to Knoxville, and not only celebrate the birth of my sister and I, but also the approaching Halloween. Our birthday could have fallen on no better day than that of the 27th of October, a day possessing two very celebratory attributes: it was a Saturday and a UT football game day.

The mood was set with a surprising win, and UT students were ready to carouse and drink to whatever cause they deemed fit. In my egocentric conception, I saw my birthday as their cause. The night came and went, and its remains included a messy home, a dull headache, and more than a few credit card receipts from our local watering holes. My recollection of the night’s events is blurred, nevertheless, I do recall many wonderful happenings: hysterical laughs, bold conversations, breakfast shared with new friends and more than a few candid snapshots. The celebration is one I will remember forever. Stories of that night will be told at countless dinner tables.

Despite my very fond memories of that day, I have to say I am happy it is behind me. I have embraced the now worry-free existence of a legal consumer of spirits. Please do not assume that due to my excessive enthusiasm for turning 21 years old I am some kind of lush. I will admit I enjoy a drink, as do many young adults of my age. My excitement stems from the freedom I feel now that I have been instilled with every liberty an adult can receive, save the ability to rent a car.

I feel like the beholder of my sovereignty, free of legal restrictions which were previously bestowed on me due to my youth. With this autonomous outlook comes a sense of maturity. I guess now I have come to the point in my life where I feel as if I am growing up, a scary feeling for those who are not familiar with it. This road of maturity leads to adulthood and independence, both of which I aspire to, and with the help of an excellent birthday I am further along that road.