Going out with friends, especially around finals time, is a great way to have some fun and let go of any pent-up steam. Having a fun night out on the town is all well and good, but oftentimes you pay the price the next morning.
I'm not saying that every night you go out turns into a drunken mess, but I'm not saying it hasn't happened to the best of us (wink). Humans are creatures of habit, so it is no surprise that many of us have a morning after ritual, whether we mean to or not.
For instance, this is a somewhat common morning-after-going-out series of events.
First, it is important to assess your physical condition. Aside from the splitting headache and extreme nausea you may feel, the fact that you woke up and the fact that you are still alive is a good start. You may have some new bumps and bruises, but that’s better than a broken bone, which some of us have encountered. Maybe you forgot whether or not you took your contacts out, but don’t worry, you’ll definitely figure it out when your eyes start to feel like sandpaper.
Next, you probably go on a personal belongings scavenger hunt. Once you see that you are in somewhat decent physical condition, it is time to find all of the stuff you threw around when you got home. If you can find your wallet and ID, your jacket, and your keys, you are in good shape. If you can’t find these things, chances are that you are experiencing a total freak out. New IDs are expensive!
Once, or if, you find all of your things, it is time to swallow your pride and open your wallet. If you have any cash left in there, that is a good sign. Unless you took your card out with you; then it is time to check your balance. God help you.
So once you come to terms with your new bruises and financial state, it is time to make sure you didn't do anything damaging to your reputation. You should start with checking your Snapchat story, and then your texts. This can be anxiety-inducing, but it must be done. Just try to remind yourself that you’re a good person, and anything that you sent the night prior is not who you really are. Then maybe turn your phone off and take a nice long nap.
Seeing the food that you ate the night before can also be very alarming and make you question your decision-making skills. Often you may consume some weird concoction at 3 a.m. that normally you would never eat. You vow to eat only healthy foods for the whole week, starting after you eat Chipotle later.
OK, so not every night out ends with a hazy, confusion-filled morning. Hopefully, we all learn from our mistakes and try to avoid waking up with a headache that feels like your brain is bleeding. If the rare occasion of having too much fun does arise again, you know that you will at the very least have some stories to tell in the morning.
