Here in the US, turning 21 pretty much just means one thing: legal drinking age. Here in New Jersey, it also means changing my driver’s license from a portrait rotation to a landscape one. That said, in all honesty, I don’t care that I’m 21 now.
While I’ve said many times over the last year “This is why I wish I could drink,” I do so jokingly. I see no glamor in going out and getting drunk. This isn’t Japan, and it isn’t socially “acceptable” to come in to work or school slightly hung over on Monday morning. Nor do I enjoy having my hallway smell like puke the entire weekend until they shampoo it on Monday (if I’m lucky). And if you’re going to take a shit in the shared toilet on the first floor, please actually take a shit in the toilet, not the floor. I fail to see how getting drunk is “fun”.
Well, now that I can drink, I guess I should start figuring out what I like. Coffee is still way cheaper than some booze I’ve seen. With that in mind, I really don’t see my drinking habits changing all that much. Coffee, tea, and milk have served me pretty well as has soda, even with its lovely sugar/”sugar” content.
But enough about drinking. Turning 21 does also mean I’m seriously a legal adult now (you’re considered a legal adult at 18 here, although train tickets like to call 16 “adult”). And that also means entering the “adult world” soon. I’ll be living internationally for half a year in two weeks (update post incoming), and I have two years at Drexel left, only one of which is a full one. I’ve already found out the hard way just how much in debt I am: $120,000 which is the maximum total I can take out for a student loan. In other words, I’m fucked for my last year at Drexel. It’s going to be a number of years before my anime, manga, and figure collections expand (Sorry, Japan. Congrats on the Olympics bid by the way.)
In a way, this move to Australia is likely going to be the last vacation (or “Holiday” as they call it) for a good long time. I’m honestly amazed my credit score is what it is for being a college student $120,000 (plus interest) in the hole. But I’ll be damned if I don’t find some way to enjoy it. I’ll go ahead and spoil part of the update on Australia now: Melbourne.
So happy birthday to me, I guess. I think I’ll celebrate with another slice of cake and a latte instead of a beer though.
