Oh, adulthood.
Remember how excited you were to finally receive your diploma and put the days of midterms and final exams well behind you? And while life after graduation is a time of self-discovery and responsibility, your college years were the ones where you were carefree and adventurous and you and your friends could somehow make it out to the bars four nights a week.
Those were the years that defined you, that made you the prosperous and thriving adult that you are today. And there's nothing better than reliving the glory days with the people who were by your side through it all.
1. You take Jell-O shots like you're 21 again
Once upon a time at a university party far, far away someone decided to combine blue raspberry Jell-O with Fleischman's vodka and a tradition was born. Fast-forward five years later, two years past graduation when you all get together for so-and-so's housewarming party and someone breaks out those same blue raspberry Jell-O shots and you suddenly feel like it's freshman year all over again.
2. You prepare for a weekend of drinking like you haven't experienced in nearly a year
It doesn't matter the occasion - whether it's because your fraternity brother is gonna be in town for the weekend for a conference or because your old college roommate is visiting her cousin - you know that once night falls, you will pretend that your liver is suddenly a young and willing virgin.
3. You reminisce about all of the awful one-night stands and random hookups you had in college
Amongst old friends, nothing is off limits. And when it comes to the people who have seen you fun-drunk and dancing on a table or blackout drunk and crying about the fact that you broke the strap on your sandal, nothing rounds out a Friday night like recalling the time you hooked up with your Biology TA and ended up getting an A in your lab class.
4. All of your conversations are about boring, adult stuff
Phoebe got a new job, Rachel and Chandler got engaged, Ross is buying a house, and Monica was just made partner in her firm. You used to have conversations about who hooked up with who in the bathroom of the bar on Saturday night and how JD and Turk got into a fight because JD's girlfriend was grinding on Turk in the fraternity basement. Now, you purposely gather around wine and beer to make your boring adult lives seem much more interesting.
5. You can afford nicer alcohol and to do nicer "activites"
Yes, partying in college was probably the best time you'll ever have. You were young and hot and could show up to class on Thursday morning probably still a little drunk and pull off a solid 3.0 GPA. But now, as an adult with a real job and a salary, you still party like you're in college, but now with sophisticated tastes and hobbies.
6. Your hangovers are worse than they ever were in college
What happens between the age of 23 and 24 where suddenly, two vodka sodas and a beer leaves you bed-ridden the entire next day? In college, you could start tailgating at 10 A.M. and continue drinking until you and your friends closed down the bars and somehow find it in you to make it to brunch the next morning. Now, you and your friends take one shot of tequila and spend all of Sunday on the couch marathoning "Parks and Rec."
7. You can never find a bar that fits your age group
Once you're out of college, it seems no matter where you go, the bar is always crawling with college students. Determined to relive your glory days, you seek out some place with a decent bar and maybe some pool tables or a dance floor. What you usually find is a "hip" bar spewing out AMFs and Long Island Iced Teas while drunk sorority girls crowd around a table and giggle in the direction of the boys from Phi Kappa Kegstand and they seem to need all of the 8 chairs at their table even though there is only five of them.
8. You do keg stands and you shotgun beers to prove you're still young
I mean it when I say that you will never think you're too old to do a keg stand. And I mean it when I say that there comes a point in your life when you will be older than the number of seconds in which you can actually do said kegstand. But, because old habits die hard and your friends will always be your biggest cheerleaders, you will undoubtedly find yourself shotgunning a Coors Light and swearing up and down that you will still kick everyone's ass.
9. EVERYONE you know is talking about their wedding
This one shouldn't even come as a surprise. LIterally - LITERALLY - everyone is getting married. You can't go a day without seeing a new engagement announcement on Facebook or photos of someone's wedding popping up in your news feed. But still, you can't help but talk about all of the wonderful milestones everyone is reaching. And besides, who doesn't love open bars and free food?
10. And most importantly, you remember how much you love these people and would trade anything else in the world to be with them
These are your people. There the ones who have been there through all of highs and lows and the tail-end of your awkward stage. They love you no matter where you are on the earth and will always make you feel young again. You are meant to run with their crowd and they are mean to be the ones you run with.
