This upcoming Friday is my birthday, which would be a lot more exciting for everyone if I was born a year earlier than I was. But, on Friday, I’m turning 20. Not 21, just 20. 

Not all birthdays are created equally, obviously. Sometimes, the only excitement of a birthday is marking the passing of another year. I can’t imagine turning 43 is going to be profoundly impactful. Other birthdays, like 18, 21 or 25, have clear significance.

For example, I looked forward to my 18th birthday for years. I could finally download dating apps, open a credit card, and otherwise embark on my adult life. Turning 19 the next year, in comparison, felt incredibly insignificant. 

Sure, I could reflect on how I spent my first year of technical adulthood, but on a greater scale I don’t think I’ll remember turning 19.

On a practical level, nothing will change when I turn 20, but fundamentally, everything is about to change. 

Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but I’m allowed to be dramatic because I’m still a teenager. Pretty soon I’ll be in my 20s, and I’m going to have to mellow out. 

In a few days, I will be able to completely close a chapter of my life. My teenage years will be behind me. An entirely new phase is about to begin. 

The 21st birthday totally undermines the significance of turning 20 — is being able to legally drink really that much more significant than going from one crucial decade of existence to the next? 

I am eagerly anticipating my 20th birthday. I cannot wait to no longer be a teenager. I don’t know if anyone realized, but I got a short, bouncy haircut and took up running. I’m so ready for my 20s. Pretty soon I’m going to be wearing faded baseball caps, shiny black leggings and trendy dad sneakers on Saturday morning walks. 

I don’t mean to wish myself into the future, though. I don’t think I’ll really be “in my 20s” until I’m at least 23, if that makes sense. I’m all for new beginnings, and 20 feels like a really novel one.  

Sure, nothing is going to change in my day-to-day life once I turn 20, and in that way it is not a milestone birthday. I don’t know though, I’m still convinced that I’m going to wake up and feel different on Friday. Like some small part of me is going to be more at peace. 

Maybe 21 lends itself more toward commercial celebration than 20, but internally, I’m going to be relishing my new maturity. I’m going to think about all of the stupid things that happened when I was a teenager and smile because it’s all behind me. 

Happy early birthday to me. I’m really only getting better with age. 

Sylvie Slotkin is a Medill sophomore. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.