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I’m turning 18 tomorrow and I feel like time has flown by so fast. My parents are throwing me a huge party, my dad’s idea, of course, and it’s nonnegotiable because he wants his business partners and rich friends to show up with gifts. If you’ve seen my previous posts, you already know my dad has a bit of a greedy streak, lol.

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[-] Smaile@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

yess all my bone cracked at exactly 12am the night of, all in unison.

[-] Oberyn@lemmy.world 9 points 12 hours ago

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

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Seriously. Could not tell you. I assume there was cake but I have no idea. Why is that? I can remember my 5th but not my 18th.

[-] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 3 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

In my extended family there is a tradition. The new adult receives 200 € and we all go to the Casino. The rest essentially drink and watch as the new adult loses all the money and learns a lesson. None of us gamble.

[-] Rooster326@programming.dev 2 points 9 hours ago

Couldn't they just take your word for it, and keep the $200?

[-] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 hours ago

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

[-] Sequentialsilence@lemmy.world 43 points 18 hours ago

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

[-] SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip 8 points 13 hours ago

Oh, wow, good for you! I guess I'm lucky that I was born before anti-vax was even a thing. In fact, my mother was one of the "polio pioneers," the school children who served as the nationwide randomized, controlled trial for Salk's vaccine, and her father had nearly died from polio, so I certainly got all my vaccines as a kid.

[-] Atomic@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 hours ago

No, it didn't feel much different beyond that i could legally get drunk. You're still the same stupid teenager, with the difference that your actions now have potentially more severe consequences. So sometimes. It's probably a good idea to pause for 5 seconds and think about what the consequences might be. Easier said than done for sure.

I'm now 32, and the most important thing I can say is take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Work out, eat your vegetables, stretch your limbs, maintain your cardio. And the next 20 years ahead of you will be even better.

I have friends my age that move like seniors. You don't want to be like that.

[-] NorthWestWind@lemmy.world 24 points 20 hours ago

Comic: nothing's changed

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.

[-] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 3 points 19 hours ago

Is HK test the same as GaoKao?

Lol funny that I didn't even have to take the SAT/ACT (US Standarized Tests) to get accepted to a state college because of COVID changed the requirements.

But then I have depression and had to withdraw 🙃

Now I have self esteen issues.

If I was still in mainland, I would've felt even worse because you know how much education is valued. The competition is so much worse, labor protection is horrible. 1.4 billion people, ugh cant even breathe in that air (literally and figuratively).

I feel like the US is more like relaxed when it comes to stuff like college, I think I can re-enroll later once I get my depression fixed. I think in China, they just don't ever let you do college again once you're past the normal age for college. Also mental health is sooo stigmitized...

Anyways, the pizza thing... is that like very special?

Cuz from my perspective, that's just an average dinner here in the US lolol.

I mean I guess if things are uncommon, it becomes special.

I have faint memories of being in McDonalds in Guangzhou... I think those always felt special... I mean I guess its cuz its foreign and its full of 味精... felt like a past life ngl, was so long ago.

When I first arrive in the US, I went to McDonalds a lot, its like a treat basically, now those stuff taste so bad (inflation maybe? lower quality stuff?), I just go to Chinese restaurant sometimes instead lol

Every time I see your comment, I just wonder like "what would my life have been life if I never emigrated" like the "alternate timeline" type of thing... yea I overthinkg life too much sometimes.

You know, I never technically even graduated highschool, I had fight school where a 鬼佬 kid instigated a fight and I got in trouble when I was 17, so I ended up hating school. So in the US, there are theses things called the "GED" where like you can just take these tests in Math Reading Writing Science and get school done with. My GED test scores are better then my GPA in school (Grade Point Average)

School in Philly suck so much... so much 種族歧視.

My mom had to move us away from NYC. NYC was so memorable. Literally like 1/4 to 1/2 of the class is Asian, a lot of Cantonese speakers, a few occasional Mandarin speakers too, so I felt more comfortable there... I mean bullying still exists, but at least I never was in a situation where I felt like was the only Asian kid in the room.

[-] NorthWestWind@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago

It's basically Gao Kao. Not as bad as it because we still have multiple paths to reach university. If one fails the HKDSE, they can take an associate degree program for 1 or 2 years and re-enroll into a major degree program. It's not the end of the world. It just takes more time and money.

Pizza is expensive in Hong Kong because it's a foreign thing and my dad's side doesn't particularly like cheese so we rarely have it. It's also generally considered unhealthy here.

[-] eletes@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 hours ago

Eh it was the summer after I graduated so felt anticlimactic, everyone else I knew was already 18.

Looking back though. It felt like the speed of life got turned up a bit. Like months started to feel like weeks.

Just remember to stop and soak things in

[-] village604@adultswim.fan 7 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

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)

[-] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 3 points 13 hours ago

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

[-] zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 hours ago

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.

[-] dil@lemmy.zip 2 points 10 hours ago

Wild to me how yall are only raised til 18 because they have to do it, why even have kids, just to say you did?

[-] zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 hours ago

My personal case was probably more to having a step parent. My younger sibling that shared both parents got his college paid for, multiple cars, and didn't get pushed into anything like I did. Your case still stands in general.

[-] bus_factor@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

That's shitty. I'm sorry your parents (both real and step) were such terrible people. Hopefully you did okay despite their best efforts.

[-] STUNT_GRANNY@lemmy.world 8 points 18 hours ago

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.

[-] BashakHimanself@sh.itjust.works 6 points 17 hours ago

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.

[-] bizarroland@lemmy.world 23 points 23 hours ago

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.

[-] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 9 points 22 hours ago

I’m sorry you went through that. That’s not fair.

[-] bizarroland@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

Well, yes, but it's their fault for robbing a McDonald's, so like, I can't really question the fairness of the situation.

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[-] zlatiah@lemmy.world 5 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

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

[-] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 5 points 18 hours ago

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.

[-] exaybachae@startrek.website 13 points 23 hours ago

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.

[-] Libb@piefed.social 12 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

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 ;)

[-] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 3 points 17 hours ago

I think I got drunk on Greek Row

[-] Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago

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.

[-] kSPvhmTOlwvMd7Y7E@lemmy.world 5 points 21 hours ago

Absolutely nothing special and dont remember what it was

Just another tuesday

[-] Apytele@sh.itjust.works 2 points 17 hours ago

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

[-] WILSOOON@programming.dev 3 points 19 hours ago

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

[-] SarahFromOz@lemmy.world 5 points 21 hours ago

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

[-] Chippys_mittens@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago

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

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

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.

[-] synapse1278@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

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 !

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this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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