We all know that your 20th birthday is the biggest tease and waste of time ever. You’re so close yet still so far away from that magic number, 21. It’s the birthday you’re hoping is going to permanently change your social life forever. No more feeling like an inconvenience asking your older friends to buy you alcohol, no more worrying if the bouncer will take your fake ID, and last but not least, the ultimate feeling of power when you realize you’re no longer at risk for getting an underage.
Regardless of what you and your friends normally do for fun, on your 21st birthday it seems everyone has one goal in mind — to get as drunk as possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or just Tuesday, you’re going out and it is going to be the best night of your life.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but even though you’re no longer at risk for getting an underage, police can come up with many reasons to charge you such as drunk in public, open container, indecent exposure, etc. These are all charges people over the age of 21 are still not invincible to. So here are a couple of tips on how to survive your birthday with no charges and minimal embarrassing stories from your friends.
PACE YOURSELF: Your birthday should be looked at as a marathon not a sprint. There’s no reason why within the first 20 minutes of being at the bar you need to have had a beer, a tequila shot and cranberry vodka. Believe me when I say it you’ve got a long night ahead of you and the free drinks will just keep coming. I’m not saying you need to stick to one drink per hour because lets face it that’s probably not going to happen, but try to sneak in a glass of water in between drinks.
EAT: I know it sounds simple enough, but it’s the most overlooked factor by most people. Most likely you just got so busy and so excited planning your birthday festivities that eating was the last thing on your mind. I suggest starting out at a bar where they have good happy hour deals with appetizers included. You will get the best of the both worlds: cheap drinks and cheap food.
TRANSPORTATION: Have your rides worked out ahead of time. Have a friend who has classes the next day DD or make sure someone has enough money for a cab. One of the easiest ways to get a drunk in public is to have to stumble home from the bar, and that’s a sure way to ruin anyone’s birthday.
PRVENT THE AFTERMATH: Waking up after your 21st birthday could be one of the worst anticipated feelings ever. So in order to minimize the hangover, don’t be shy about eating a late-night snack once you get home, take an Advil and drink a couple of glasses of water before bed. When you wake up, make sure you have water handy and either a greasy or carb-filled breakfast planned.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Last but not least, make sure one of your trustworthy friends has a camera handy to take pictures throughout the night. There’s no better way to remember all the fun you had than to see it in pictures the next day.