Ah, Midtown — your wide variety of late night eats and even larger pool of weekend drink specials can have even the most studious people kicking it back on a Friday night. I have to say, though, over the years, I’ve found that the party scene doesn’t seem to be my thing.
Don’t get me wrong, your girl loves herself a $4 margarita, and sometimes, she’ll definitely brave the crowds to get one. But if I’m being honest, a girls’ night in with a bottle of peach-flavored Moscato is more enticing than anything Midtown has to offer, and it’s something I would rarely say no to. So, what are the signs that nightlife just ain’t your best life?
1. You quite literally don’t have anything to wear out.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that I wear some form of sneaker everywhere. A few weeks ago, I bought a new white pair, to replace my old ones that were starting to look more like a grey pair. It can only be expected then, that I don’t really wear heels all that much. Let’s top that off with the fact that I have maybe a grand total of 3 things in my entire wardrobe that could double as partywear. If you’re ever looking for me in Mid, there’s a 900% chance that I will be wearing the same black top and jeans combo. Throw in my ratty sneaks for good measure.
2. The idea of wading through a sea of people makes you super uncomfortable.
Have you ever walked into a club, seen the amount of people inside, and just thought, “I’ve made a mistake”? Sometimes, you have to reevaluate. Once you decide that you need to get from one end of the club to the other, you’re wondering if these people can hear you saying “excuse me” in a weird yell-whisper because y’know, you don’t want to be rude.
3. You have absolutely no idea what to do with yourself once you get there.
I feel like if my Zumba instructor could see what I look like when I’m dancing irl, he would totally understand why I stand in the very back during class. But here’s the thing about going out: you either dance or you look kinda weird just standing there. Okay, so there’s probably a happy medium out there; but I haven’t found it yet. If you have any suggestions, please tell me. In the meantime, I’ll just hang out and awkwardly sip my drink to the beat of whatever music is currently playing.
4. You’ve browsed on your phone while out. Multiple times.
I’ve done it all – Snapchat, text my little sister, take Buzzfeed quizzes, you name it. I know, by now you’re probably wondering why I go out in the first place. I actually really love to spend time with my friends, regardless of what we do. But sometimes they go off to dance and I sit by the bar and try to figure out which Disney princess I am according to my favorite colors and tastes in food.
5. You start thinking about what you’re gonna do when you (finally!) get home.
I’m pretty sure that I’m a solid blend of all four of the Golden Girls. It’ll get past midnight and one of my first thoughts will be, “I wonder if I’ll have enough time to shower and read before bed tonight.” The first thing on my “once I get home” list is always cleaning off my aforementioned sneakers.
All jokes aside, going out with friends once in a while can be rewarding. It gives you a reason to dress up and put your work aside for one night. But if you’re like me and you prefer Netflix and wine over Grog, more power to us, am I right? However you like to spend your free time, it’s always important to make sure you’re enjoying yourself.