College seems to be filled with a number of endless things. Endless homework, endless emails, endless mimosas and endless parties. It seems like most people tend to focus on either their school life or their social life when they’re presented with the new options and freedom college has to offer. Everyone's party phase varies in length; some last a year, some four, some until they're 38 and still living with their parents, but, they all come to an end eventually. I just so happen to have focused on the social life a little too early and a little top much in high school. I got mine out of my system my sophomore and junior years of high school and I couldn't be happier that I did. Not only did getting it out before college allow me to focus on getting a good job and good grades but, it also helped me further and better my journey of finding myself. Oddly enough the person you used to get pissed at for making stupid excuses to not come out becomes the one looking back at you in the mirror.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do have a social life and go out to bars and parties when I want to, but it's not the end of the world if I have to stay in for an entire weekend. I genuinely enjoy my time in my room by myself and going to bed at a reasonable hour. While all your friends are heading out for Thirsty Thursday you’re laying in your bed in sweat pants and an over-sized t-shirt waiting for the moment you can watch "Grey’s Anatomy" with out being stopped by the power hour buzzer going off every minute. And I especially like the fact that I don't feel like a tub of lard from the killer hangover that the two Four Locos from the night before gave me. When I go out now I’ll have a couple drinks and get to the point where I think that I may actually be a good dancer, but not to the point where I’m dancing on the bar like in the past. You start to prefer the $2 beers and macaroni and bacon-topped pizza rather than the shots of Fireball that you have to act like don't make you want to run to the bathroom and puke in the sink. Your bank account still steadily dwindles down but now it's from lunch dates and dinners rather than over priced and poorly made drinks. Blacking out becomes a very rare thing, and when it happens you feel a deep pit of anxiety in your stomach while you stare at your phone waiting for the group chat to start making fun of all the L’s you took.
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When you stay in on a Friday you also have some of the best quality time with your friends. I mean really, who knew a night of to-go wings, a $3 bottle of wine, and Gossip Girl could bring you so close. Maybe your drunken, bathroom stall cry-fest with Tiffany did bring you to a “totally new level” but, it also made it super awkward when you realize you shared some extremely embarrassing moment from your 2010 family Christmas party. When you stay in with your friends you form bonds that’ll last for the rest of your lives, all while getting to be your true self and not needing to worry about them judging you for polishing a whole pizza and full box of bread sticks by yourself.
Now I'm not saying the party phase is a bad thing. I definitely think that at some point you need to go through it, and go through it hard, but it definitely isn't for me anymore.
