I think when you reach the 22-25 age range and have graduated college you start doing crazy things. Or maybe not crazy at all, depending on where you live or what your personality is like. For me, I moved to New York at the ripe age of 22, after graduating college and that was pretty crazy. I had a good 3 months of drinking, smoking, and being an all around irresponsible person. I had an unpaid internship and babysit for a family in the Upper East Side (holla!) so of course it made sense to drink heavily and sleep until 2pm everyday. (Sorry, dad.)
But then something happens. I don’t know what you call it or why it happens but some part of you realizes that you have to grow up. I suppose this stage of utter embarrassment and “adulthood” last longer or shorter for each person but after 4 months, I was done. I had a job interview at a really fancy art gallery on 57th street and I wore heels to the interview and thought, “This is what it feels like to live in New York.” (I hate wearing heels, by the way.) But I wanted to stop waking up in the afternoon. I wanted to stop smoking (really, honest to God, stop smoking). I wanted to enjoy waking up the morning after going out and not having a million explicates going through my head or a pounding headache. I wanted to be productive and get dressed and go outside, if only to go get a sandwich at the store.
I want to have a job. I want to dress up to go to work. I want to have a stable income and be able to save money to travel with. I want to join a gym and work out after work. Then I want to come home and cook dinner and watch Netflix on the futon with my roommates. Or by myself and a joint. And then I want to go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 8am and feel good about myself. Then on Fridays and Saturdays, I want to go out. I want to get really drunk and have a great time but only every now and then. I want those nights to be special and “one of a kind” instead of “Oh god. Not this again…” as my roommates chase me down a random Bushwich street trying to jump on my back.
I think growing up takes a lot more than changing what you do on the weeknights. I think it’s a mental process of deciding what you want to be and then being it, no matter what. It also helps to have awesome friends that encourage you to be a better person (yet still bum you a cigarette when you’ve had a few beers. On a Saturday night, of course.)
