Recovering

Last week I had a discussion with a couple of people who love partying as much as I do and have been doing it as often as I have for the past decade (give or take a couple of years). We sheepishly admitted to each other that our stamina for partying hearty just isn't what it used to be. We were amazed as we recounted how much energy we had: having too much to drink at bars and then some, embracing blissful inebriation, meeting random people and feeling like we found buddies for life, clubbing and dancing for hours at a time with abandon, scoffing rest and declaring sleep for the Unfun and staying out until what seemed like a million o'clock in the morning. We'd stay until the cleaners came out with their mops and trash bags, surreptitiously glancing at us every once in a while wishing we'd leave already. We'd have no problem staying out until the sun came up, glaring at us like a disapproving chaperon. Ravenous and still feeling partyish, we'd find ourselves in a 24 hour dingy diner-type place serving food of questionable sanitation, defying our bodies' need to recover and laughing at each other's silliness, knowing we had work, an early class, an exam or a paper due the next day.

Ah yes those moments are precious. And not as frequent nowadays.

I went out three nights in a row from Thursday to Saturday. That is on top of an 8 hour workday. I stayed out quite late and did have a little too much to drink (having had to ask my cabbie to pull over so I could throw up on Thursday night. Sorry Thursday. Puke Presence of Mind. That's the mark of an expert alcoholic.)

Nonetheless, those nights were a lot tamer. And I was not my chipper self the next day. I missed my German class on Saturday because I could not get out of bed at all. And I still needed all of Sunday to recover (to be fair, I was out till 6 am because of the Brazil-France match).

We agreed that back to back party nights have become very rare indeed. We can still do two nights in a row but the second night would pretty much be half-assed and would involve a lot of water-drinking.

I know it's saying goodbye to a chapter in my life and I don't feel devastated by the change at all like some have predicted, but I do get nostalgic for the endless parties and the wild nights and passing out in random places. But as my friends and I got ready to go out for the evening, we concluded that it's not all bad really, as quiet nights spent reading a book, writing, having good conversations with people important to us have become a lot more appealing of late. We're getting on in the cycle of life. Hehe move over, Deepak.

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Family news:

My younger sister was in surgery this morning. She was admitted last night. Everyone in the family is a bit subdued, sad and still worried but relieved to know that she'll be okay. My mom and I are going over to the hospital later this evening to see how she's doing.