Over the weekend friends of ours came to visit from out of town.  I’d been looking forward to their visit for weeks.  This was one of my best friends in the world, a friend I’ve known since we were 9 years old, and her brand new husband.  I couldn’t wait for a weekend filled with talking and laughing and reminiscing and drinking and painting the town red. 

Although the weekend didn’t disappoint, it was definitely a reminder that we aren’t the 9-year-old girls we used to be.  Nope, we’re the 35-year-old grannies who had to take naps after a shopping excursion and send the baby-sitter home after we finished “painting the town red” at a pathetic 9:00 PM.

Yeah that’s right.  My big night out ended at 9:00.  I’d like to defend myself by saying that 9:00 isn’t so bad considering that the baby-sitter arrived at 5.  But that ages me even more.  We may have been eating at a cool restaurant, but we were dining with the early birds. 

I didn’t used to be this old.  I used to be able to stay up all night long, whether I was cramming for finals or closing down a fraternity party.  Now I consider it a late night if I stay up past my 10 PM bedtime.  And if I do stay up late or have one too many glasses of wine, I pay the price the next day as my mother’s words reverberate in my aching head: You play, you pay.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a complete hermit.  I enjoy going out to nice restaurants and bar hopping with friends.  But after a couple of hours I’m more than ready to get back home, crawl into my jammies, and watch a good movie from the comfort of my own sofa, which is exactly what we did last weekend. 

I don’t know when I transitioned from party animal to party pooper.  I don’t know when I started ending my nights at the same time they used to kick off.  I don’t know when loud music in a club became irritating rather than invigorating.   I don’t know when I started looking at girls in their 20’s and thinking, wow, I wish I had their energy.  I don’t know when I started giving myself a bedtime.

I don’t know when I became OLD. 

Are you a party animal or a party pooper?  Have your thoughts on nights out changed over the years?

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8 Comments on Party animal or party pooper?

  1. I'm semi-ashamed to say that I was already a party pooper in college. I hated Greek parties and the bar scene. I felt like a zombie if I didn't get at least 8 hours of sleep. My "bed time" was about 10. My idea of a good night was curling up on my dorm room bed with a few of my close friends with a glass of wine and a good movie. I never went out to dinner later than 6- a) because I'd feel like crap going to sleep if I waited until later and b) I couldn't stand the crowds later on. Yep, being out of college has suited me just fine 🙂

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  2. I don't go out. Ever. I never leave my baby. We've moved around too much to know someone well enough to trust them. BUT, I love having people over and drinking too much wine. I always pay for it the next day and promise not to do it next time. Until the next time!

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  3. I don't think it's age as much as comfort and experience (for me, at least). When you are comfortable with your home life it's hard to find the motivation to leave for long periods of time. Plus, if (like me) you live in the least happening place ever, where bar hopping would mean spending hours with my husband's Marines…then I'd rather stay home:) I am not old per se (27) but I've been to plenty of parties and sewn my wild oats. Unless it's a new experience or something really special (like my dream of visiting NYC) then it doesn't hold much interest for me. And with kids to get off to school at 7:45 am, I don't care how old you are…10pm is late!!

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  4. I vacillate between the two extremes. I was one of the last people to leave the Halloween party this year, but I rolled home from a friend's birthday party the following week at 11 pm. I find that I value really letting loose occasionally, because it makes it easier to put my nose to the grind stone the rest of the time. My problem is that when I am out really late (3-4 am) I'm usually working.

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  6. I used to love going out and staying out late, but since the kids were born, I've been a party pooper… although, on special occasions, I am able to turn on my party animal switch.

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  7. I think I've enjoyed reading the comments on this post just as much as the post itself 🙂 I've always been a naturally early riser and hated staying up past 10pm. I've had way too much fun hosting early evening wine parties to think of myself as a party pooper though 🙂 haha. Alas…that is most likely exactly what I am…

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