Ask Lemmy

When I turned 18 my parents took me out to dinner and joked about me paying for everyone since I was an adult now. It became clear quickly that the joke was how they actually felt and within months they had moved to a new home in which i was not invited to live. I say enjoy the part the best you can and try not to get dragged into the bullshit.

I did what I do on most of my birthdays: went to a movie with friends. It was my first year in university abd I grew up in a small town, so that day was my first time riding a bus

Man don't even fuckin remember wat happened my 18th birthday other than turned 18

"Oh hey, I'm no longer legally dependent on my parents, nice."

I scheduled vaccine appointments with my Dr. My parents were anti-vax and once I was old enough I went and did it myself.

I got to wait 30 minutes until midnight so I could buy fuel system cleaner and a sharpie. Walmart can be silly.

When I turned 21 I got a liquor store to break the law and stay open late to sell me my first legal bottle of scotch at midnight (my roommate was good friends with the owner)

Ah, I will turn 18 soon too :^). My parents prolly aint throw a huge or expensive party for me. Just go 2 a relative w/ big house and call a few friends after school maybe. I want a blue BFDI (Battle For Dream Island - a cartoon on web which Im grown up w/) cake with some stuff like maybe getting some useful things 4 my pet rock (yes I have a huge "breed" pet rock) and get myself a bike I wanted for years or an ugly sweater, BFDI Woody (the char from same cartoon) plush maybe. I want that plush since it is out and loving the character since late 2010's.

Anyways, I dont think much stuff will be changed really. Prolly will have a legal right to drink, have a job, drive or smth. And methinks I cant neither afford any one or my mentally ill ass prolly will commit some crimes or go die while being drunk so Id rather to not drink. And the best thing after 18s prolly getting into a some meh kind of an university.

Not a party, but my parents took me around to meet and dine with a few of their friends (mostly somewhat accomplished folks) as a farewell of sorts. I got sent to the US for college 2 months later and basically never had a chance to go back home in 10 years so

I just... did my own thing, by myself. Had my own car, a tank of gas, and some cash in my wallet. No concrete plans when I woke up that morning.

I ended up spending most of my 18th birthday at the zoo, just wandering around at my own pace. Whenever my folks would take me before that point, we'd always end up trying to speedrun the whole place, spending no more than a minute at each exhibit, if we'd stop at all. And without spending a single cent on anything other than admission.

I spent two hours just hanging out in the zoo's walk-in aviary, feeding seed sticks and nectar cups to parrots. Best birthday ever.

It was nice, but I was still in high school so it didn't really feel like adulthood, that came in the form of my high school graduation, moving in to college, and then my 21st birthday.

Just enjoy it and appreciate the freedom and responsibility, but also take your time before acting on your newfound right to sign contracts. Maybe register to vote if you live in a democracy that doesn't do that automatically, for me that was the biggest thing about that age, I was finally a full citizen.

Every birthday I ask for pizza. It was largely the same.

In HK, being 18 almost always means you are studying for HKDSE, basically the biggest and most important exam of a Hongkonger's life. I got a few blessings from my family lol.

I think I got drunk on Greek Row

I got the ability to unground myself after being denied any of my interests and social connections for a year because I didn't load the dishwasher fast enough.

18 is when the full pedos lose interest and the borderline pedos come after you instead

It's the last thing they can force you to do (but playing along can have benefits).

You do you.

Life isn't a dress rehearsal and you don't get extra points for suffering.

Show up at the party and have the best time you can. See which rich guy gives you the silliest advice, or see how much cake you can eat, or Find someone else who doesn't want to be there and do something to make them happy.

I had a small party with family and friends then started moving out.

Why is 18 still a thing? You can't even buy cigarettes at 18 today.

All of my friends got arrested and I was homeless, so I just slept in my truck all day.

As you can tell people love me at parties.

I had my parents out of the house for the weekend and throw a party with all my friends. We drank and smoked weed and I throw up before midnight from my bedroom's window. This didn't stop me from continuing the party that night. It was fun. Now days I get 48 hours of hangover if I drink 2 beers in 1 night, so my liver is fucked I guess. I regret nothing !

nothing happened, like always, it was gradual, friends moving away, you finding new interests, finding new friends, slowly realising your shortcomings and working to over come them. 18 felt like nothing, but the years after felt like growing up

Nothing noteworthy about 18, except voting and easier job hunts (technically, but I had to change cities to find work still, so YMMV). 21 was boring too.

But a week from now you'll be 40.

Don't be one of those who at 40 realizes they should have been investing 20% of their income and utilizing their employers 401k match, or taking better care of their health.

The time goes by real fast. Faster than as a teen.

Or at least it tends to seem that way.

Enjoy your 18th today.

Plan for you 60th tomorrow.

Don't wait.

Nothing special. I was just one year older. I never was much into birthday and I'm now many, many years older than 18 ;)

My parents are throwing me a huge party, my dad’s idea, of course, and it’s nonnegotiable

It probably is negotiable but it may happen the stakes are too high. Hard to say without any context.

I threw my dad out of my first home the day he came to visit. Right after he started behaving like he used to when I was living under his own roof, I asked him to stop. He did not. I explained him I was not living at his place anymore and he was my guest and he should stop now unless he wanted me to show him the door. He persisted. I grabbed him by the seat of his pant and drove him out, shutting the door on him. It was not nice and it did not end in the most respectful way but it was still a negotiation ;)

The only thing that to me meaningfully changed: I could legally drive on the road alone (before I had my license but was only permitted to drive under supervision).
Besides that: The number of years I lived has increased by +1 :p

I went to the pub with my mate where I'd been drinking every day for the previous year and got a legal pint. Told all the staff that it was my birthday. Then which one and almost got barred!

Proceeded to get shit-faced

Absolutely nothing special and dont remember what it was

Just another tuesday

Got really drunk and spent the next day vomiting into the toilet. Go slow and eat first!

I was in first year of college, but my birthday falls during winter break. So instead of being able to celebrate with all my awesome new college friends, I was stuck with like one good high school friend, two barely-friends (one was an ex, and their parents were friends with mine), and my gf.

It was... ok. Pretty underwhelming. Pizza and cake, got to watch a movie I had been interested in, and played some multiplayer game.

For some reason my gf decided she needed to hang all over me. Think she was trying to make the ex jealous, which is hilarious because there had been zero chemistry with the ex, I think we kissed once maybe. It did make the ex jealous, and my high school friend got to enjoy more attention from her than I ever got. Cuddling, holding hands, hugs, nothing further than that but it really highlights how little had been there with me and the ex. Still makes me laugh thinking about it.

I remember a bunch of private jokes before and after between me and my gf about me finally being legal, because we'd been fucking like the horny teenagers we were for around a year and a half.

Overall, not anywhere close to the big deal people tend to make it. I honestly didn't remember any details until I sat and thought about it, and my memory was somewhat stirred by interacting with that high school friend again through work yesterday (ended up working for different sub-companies of the same org, doing similar work).

Plenty of more memorable times in my life. Only one birthday is particularly memorable now in my mid 30s. My 21st is memorable less for the birthday itself and more for everything around it, but the birthday is still memorable.

I bought cigarettes with my real id instead of the fake one. The cashier knew me quite well, noticed and we had a laugh about it.

I don't even remember my 18th Not due to drinking (I'm a tea totaler) bit because from the ages of 13 to now (28) my life has been a meaningless blur. Not good or bad just grey. So I'd say enjoy your birthday warts and all because at least you still feel something.

I didn't do a special party or anything. But I did file paperwork to legally change my last name to my stepdad's.

Did absoluely nothing special (maybe a nice meal and presents with my family) because i don't like having birthday parties

Did feel special though. Turning 18. Thought life was going to pick up and I'd quickly go places. Sickness gets in the way. Roughky in the same place i was back then. Nothing wromg with that really but it's annoying how different everything ends up from how you planned. Haven't planned anything in my life since then, too dissapointing to see long term plans fall apart

Strip Club, fist fights, bad booze, gas station cigars, I understand how I got there and why I thought it was epic, but I like my birthdays better nowadays