After the After Party

I used to be a party girl. Not the silly one who goes wild every once in a while....like the PARTY GIRL. My life revolved around the next time I'd get to go out till 3 am and drink with friends and pretty much that only. On the few occasions, I'd actually do something in the day on a weekend, I felt proud. Why? Because typically spent that weekend time just nursing a hangover and doing the bare minimum to get myself feeling alive enough for the next night out. It was bad.

I know this already sounds messy, but I loved it. There are a few nights I can definitely look back at and enjoy. I clung to those good nights to the point where I felt the day had nothing to offer. I remember people asking if I'd outgrow the phase and I'd be dismissive saying it's fun and why should I stop? First off, unless I'm harming anyone (or myself), I don't think others should be judging my lifestyle. When it comes to this kind of party phase, I do think I just needed a step back to learn that a lot of life happens in the day and not just the night.

A big drawback for me was my circles (all my friends were party people) and how I literally DID NOT THINK ANYTHING WOULD BE MORE FUN THAN DRINKING WITH MY FRIENDS. Oh yes, I can't help but emphasize that mindset cause it was true. I'm sure I'm not the only 20-something out there who had the same thought process. I think a bit of partying is always good, but the culture surrounding university and parties is so wild to me in hindsight. I may look back on some of those nights fondly, but I can literally only imagine how good those days could have been too.

Luckily, we all kinda know where the story goes from here. I'm now the girl waking up at 5am instead of deciding to tuck myself into bed at that time. Through this experience, I've developed a love of the day and sun. Life is so much more fun outside of the parties and alcohol. There's literally a whole world of art, food, nature, and activities to do. This morning I tried cycling for the first time and it was amazing! I feel so energized and in love with life again. There's so much I want to do now even within my own city and none of it requires a drop of liquor or to be out past 8 pm! Nightlife is good, but daytime is where the magic happens.