Noch kein Ex-Teufel: 37 und jünger – Mein Weg aus der Partyszene
Hey Leute, let's talk about something real: being 37 and still figuring things out. Specifically, figuring out life after the party scene. I mean, I’m not saying I was a total Teufel (devil), but let's just say my twenties and thirties involved a lot of late nights, questionable decisions, and way too much tequila.
The "Mid-Life" Crisis (Or, More Like a Mild Panic Attack)
So, I hit 37. And it wasn't the "mid-life crisis" the movies portray. No fancy sports car or sudden urge to learn the banjo. Nope. It was more like a slow-dawning realization that, whoa, I've spent a significant chunk of my adult life partying. And while I don't regret all of it – some memories are genuinely hilarious – I also felt a nagging sense of...emptiness. Like I'd missed something. Or, more accurately, like I'd missed everything.
I'd always identified myself through my social life. My worth was tied to how many parties I attended, how many people I knew, how wild I could be. But the hangovers were getting worse (no kidding), the late nights exhausting, and the whole thing just felt…pointless. It's not like I had a huge, earth-shattering epiphany. It was more of a gradual shift. A slow fade out of the party-hard lifestyle.
The Turning Point: A Very, Very Quiet New Year's Eve
Last New Year's Eve, I did something radical: I stayed home. Alone. No parties, no crowds, no pressure to be "on." Just me, my pajamas, and a truly awful rom-com on TV. It sounds boring, right? But it was incredibly liberating. It gave me space to think, to reflect, to just be. I realized that my frantic pursuit of fun had actually been a way to avoid facing myself. To avoid the things I really wanted.
Finding My Footing After the Party
Leaving the party scene wasn’t easy. There was FOMO (fear of missing out), of course. There were also old habits, like reaching for the phone to text people to go out on a Wednesday night. But here are some things I found helpful:
- Finding New Hobbies: I started learning German. Sounds totally nerdy, I know. But it gave me a focus, a challenge, and something productive to do with my time. It's crazy how much you can learn with language learning apps. Check it out!
- Connecting with Different People: I started attending hiking groups. It's amazing how much you can connect with people through shared activities. It helps to find new people who are focused on other things than the late night party scene.
- Setting Boundaries: This was HUGE. I learned to say "no" to invitations that didn't align with my new priorities. It felt awkward at first, but it became easier over time. Trust me.
- Prioritizing Self-Care: Sleep, healthy food, exercise – these things stopped feeling like chores and started feeling essential. My friends in the party scene couldn't believe I was focusing on this. They thought I was boring now.
- Therapy: Don't laugh. Therapy helped me unpack my reasons for clinging to that lifestyle and helped me learn to cope with the changes.
It's a Journey, Not a Destination
Leaving the party scene at 37 wasn’t a quick fix. It's an ongoing process. There are still days when I miss the energy, the excitement, the camaraderie. But the peace and self-acceptance I've found far outweigh those fleeting moments.
So, if you're reading this and feeling lost, overwhelmed, or like you're "behind," know that you're not alone. It's never too late to change course, to redefine yourself, to find your own path – even if that path leads you away from the party and towards something quieter, and perhaps, more fulfilling. I'm still figuring it out. And that's okay.