Partying In Beirut In Your 30s Vs. Your 20s

I’m turning 32 this month (yikes!), and I’ve been thinking about how my party-style has changed from back when I was in my twenties. A decade ago, I lived a carefree youth and stayed out until the wee hours of the morning. Then, before I knew it, I began to suffer from two-day-long hangovers, where it became impossible for me to be dragged out of the house past 10 PM, making it more likely to find me at a pre-wedding party than at the real thing.

Is it just me, or can some of you thirty-something people relate?

1. The idea of the perfect evening

20s: Pre-drinks, party, party harder, after-party, and sometimes even an after-after-party.
30s: Cheese, wine, Netflix, friends.

2. The outfit

20s: Less is more, but stilettos are necessary.
30s: You ditch the high heels and the tight bandage mini skirt for a fluffy dress and flat sneakers.

3. Pre-drinks before going out

20s: You down several rounds of drinks at home with your friends before heading out, which is rarely before 11 PM.
30s: Your evening isn’t divided into parts. You’ll have dinner and drinks at the same place, and as soon as you’re tipsy, you know it’s the perfect opportunity to go to bed.

4. Standing in line

20s: You know the bouncer will eventually let you in, so a 40 minute wait in the rain until he does is fine with you.
30s: Did you say nightclub?

5. Drinking

20s: The more shots the merrier.
30s: You get tipsy early in the evening, though you’ve only had a couple of wine glasses. And a whole lot of water.

6. Using the bathroom

20s: For selfies duuuuh
30s: You prefer to use the toilet somewhere where you can be sure that no one has puked yet. That would be your own bathroom.

7. The music

20s: Anything loud is music.
30s: “Can we turn the music down so we can have a real conversation and not just stare at each other?”

8. Going back home

20s: More like going to an after-party. And when/if you eventually end up at home, you pass out in the same clothes you partied in.
30s: You’re in bed by midnight, after having washed your face and brushed your teeth.

9. The next day

20s: As soon as you wake up, you start making plans that will replicate the night before.
30s: You research cures for your hangover and promise yourself that you’ll never drink again.

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