Cinderella syndrome

Carmen’s birthday dinner was supposed to be a quick celebration at that new tapas place downtown. Three hours and way too many small plates later, I’m finally home and questioning every life choice that led me to wear heels on a Sunday night.

Cinderella syndrome

The restaurant was beautiful, the food was incredible, and Carmen looked amazing in her new red dress that she’s been saving for a special occasion. But somewhere between the second round of sangria and Sarah’s story about her disastrous Bumble date, I remembered why I usually save the going-out energy for Fridays.

Jake texted around ten asking if I needed a ride, which was sweet but also probably code for ‘please don’t wake me up when you stumble in.’ Smart man. I took an Uber and spent the entire ride home planning my immediate future: pajamas, leftover pizza, and maybe catching up on the nursing journals I’ve been ignoring all weekend.

The real MVPs of tonight

Tomorrow it’s back to scrubs and sensible shoes, and honestly? I’m ready for it. Sometimes you need a reminder of why your normal life is actually pretty great.