Party like it's 2009

Carmen’s birthday party tonight and I’m having one of those moments where I put on the same black dress I’ve worn to every semi-important occasion for the past three years and wonder when I became someone who owns exactly one party outfit.

Party like it’s 2009

Remember when getting ready for a night out was this whole production? Music blasting, trying on seventeen different combinations, pre-gaming with whatever cheap wine was on sale? Now I’m calculating how many hours of sleep I can get if we leave by 11:30 and whether I remembered to set my alarm for tomorrow morning’s shift. Jake keeps laughing at me because I’ve checked my phone twice to make sure I have enough battery to last the night.

The pre-party shoe struggle is real

The shoes still fit, the dress still works, and I’m genuinely excited to celebrate Carmen. But there’s something funny about realizing that “party Elena” now comes with a backup phone charger and a mental note to drink water between cocktails. Not sure if this is growing up or growing old, but I guess we’ll find out around midnight when I start calculating Uber wait times.

At least I still look good in this dress. Some things never change.