what a dumb age. being 20 is nothing special.

So it's officially my birthday right now and I'm no longer a teenager. It's so weird to know I've entered a point in my life that designates me to an adult role, when I feel like high school was just yesterday. Turning 20 really isn't a big occasion, there's literally nothing I know of that changes. I still can't legally drink, but all major things I needed became legal when I was 18. I think it's kind of ridiculous that at 18 I could vote, get married, have a child, buy a house, buy a car, fight in a war, but not drink. I'm going to Italy in a few weeks where the drinking age is 16. Most other countries in the world have much lower drinking ages. Maybe it's because Americans have to do everything to excess, but i still don't understand how between this year and the next suddenly everything changes I hit the magic number and poof now I'm suddenly responsible enough to drink? I know the drinking age is 21 because otherwise the state doesn't get federal funding for highways and roads, and it just seems ridiculous that politicians would tie in such a clause. People in Europe don't seem to be any worse for their low drinking age, if anything they seem to be better able to control themselves because they learn from a younger age how much they can tolerate, as well as it being a common social thing. In the US half the excitement comes from the fact that drinking is illegal. It's a special treat you can get away with. If you socialize someone from a young age that alcohol s normal, that it's not something that is forbidden, people won't react in this over-indulgence as much. I grew up in a Russian family that had more liquor and wine than water or juice on the table. It was never an issue to say even at 15, Michelle do yo want a glass of wine with dinner? When you make it a normal household thing, most of the excitement wears off and you get less of an overindulgence or greedy attitude. My best friend was at Oktoberfest over the weekend, and she said only one out of the thousands of people she saw was throwing up. He was getting dirty looks from everyone, as if he was embarrassing their country. Here, every party I've been to someone is getting sick because they don't know when to stop. It's just a different mentality, and it makes no sense as to why this country has such arbitrary rules.