How long did you party for, if you did?

[Themaskedwhinger]

I wish I’d done it longer.

I started being quite naughty around age 13, which looking back seems so young now. A nice, middle class background in a nice area, my parents had no idea. My friends and I sought excitement and we smoked and drank, later drugs and many clubs/raving etc..it was very full on for a while and great fun. I met my Dh at 17, we had fun but things calmed, we went out with friends to the pub a lot, some drugs, sometimes clubbing with a friend from college but not that often. At 23 we moved abroad and had a few crazy ish years…after that we sort of settled down. I went on works do’s with the girls sometimes, travelled a lot but no dancing etc, now have mum friends and go out for lunches and dinners sometimes, but nothing wild..mid 40’s now.
Looking back, I had so much energy late twenties/early thirties, still looked great, still felt very young and so on…why wasn’t I still going out lots and living it up..no kids, mortgage or responsibilities..
When did you stop partying so much and do you miss/regret not doing it for longer (if you’ve stopped that is!)

We still take our annual ibiza trip , I’m 40. Still absolutely able to dance all night!

@Youcannotbeseriousreally But did you do it all the years or come back to it?

Hey!! Oh I miss them days, I stopped partying between 22-27 and then moved aboard and went wild till 33 when I moved back to London and now with a 2.5 year old, and last two years, partner and I have gone Ibiza in august for a week with a big group of friends. One girls trip a year for me up to five days as well which has been nice. But no more illegal stuff for me for the last five years now, I miss it but I know I wasn’t really living the best life back then and definitely a really good life now. It’s good to reminisce

On and off (between work) 18-20 then 20-31 (when I got pregnant with my first) I partied hard - Uni, then future/ex DH was in a band so lots of travelling and parties - in my 20's I'd go Friday-Monday with little sleep - it was the 90's we did a lot of drugs!

Bit tamer now at 53 but still love a good night out (sans drugs) with my mates and can still manage to by up till 3am

I partied for quite a long time, from about 18/19 until my late 30s when I had my daughter, than another burst in my early-mid 40s after I split up with my ex.

I have quite mixed feelings about it now tbh: I am not going to lie I had some pretty wild times and it was awesome but looking back I was pretty lucky not to have done serious damage to my health or developed a dangerous addiction. I'm extremely clean living and dull now.

If I had my time again, honestly, I'd probably have done it all but in a more measured fashion and spent more time working and studying.

I met DH at 19 and pretty much settled down by 20. Had ds at 23.
Wish I had enjoyed more time!

Until I had my kids (mid 30s). After that I was out of the habit from not drinking whilst pregnant and breastfeeding for years). And just not having the energy.

But I still enjoy party - just not in the same way.

Seems I missed out a little compared to most

16-23. I worked hard but I partied harder. Like a PP I’m lucky not to have seriously injured myself, damaged my health or developed an addiction because my relationship with alcohol was problematic at times. I stayed away from drugs and thank the Lord I did. I wish I’d been a bit less of a party girl but there were some good times. Once I was pregnant it was game over. Rarely touched alcohol since and I’m now mid 30s.

From 16 to about 28, I was out drinking and dancing at least three times a week.

Now I’ve found new ways of getting that pleasure (outdoor pursuits).

I wish I’d discovered them earlier; I dread to think how much of my life has been spent with a hangover.

I kept partying! Went to college in Paris. Worked in London. Lived in the city when I came home. Most of my friends were married with kids, so I got a new gang & kept going until about 40. That’s when I got married. We still went out a fair bit, but more the pub or gigs. I had a good laugh & don’t regret any of it. But, I never bought a house, got a “good job” & randomly had my baby at the last minute! I’ve enjoyed life.

My partying was done between 13-17. By the time we could legally drink or get into clubs we had outgrown them. There was no id in those days. You just stated your date of birth and were never refused if you were female. By 18 we were all engaged or married. This was mid 80s. I'm 55 now.

I never did drugs, but I was out at nightclubs from about 16, and met DH at 25. So about 9 years of going out most weekends. Mainly clubbing, sometimes a house party. Some nights where I drank ridiculous amounts and I am thankful nothing happened to me. But I loved clubbing, the music and the atmosphere and people dancing. My friend and I went to a 90s night recently and it was full of people our age (early 40s) going wild. I miss it. DH was never in to it, but I still went out with my friends a lot until we hit about 30.

15 to 28 it was enough! No desire to go back.

Hardly at all. I quickly realised I felt hugely awkward in clubs and hated going out and having to shout all night..much prefer a quiet pub or night in!

I was never into drugs, but during my early 30s, things were tapering off with the odd Egg all nighter thrown in a couple of times a year. After I had DC, mid thirties, it was game over.

I still enjoy (too many) drinks and the odd party/bar now and again but I certainly don't msis my clubbing days!

Started going out around 16... partied loads with different groups of people. Separated from my ex at 28 and one of the last mega nights out I had was for my 30th. Met my DH just before I turned 31 and calmed down considerably !!. The thought of being out til 4-5am makes my feet hurt and I know I couldn't even do that now but I'd definitely do it all over again though. Had some amazing nights.

I'm 42, two kids aged 6 and nearly 2, and party hard once every few months. They stay with their dad for one weekend night and day which makes this an option, would be tricky otherwise. Mostly I just go to the pub/theatre/dinner/gig etc when I get my weekend night off but every now and then there's some special occasion or event which warrants a very late night

Slightly confused with the definition of "partying". Is that an Americanism, or something else?

I've never heard 'clubbing' described as "partying" before - clubbing seems to be what some are describing here - but maybe it's an age group thing; I'm 52 for reference.

Would partying be any type of going out, or getting together, with others to do alcohol and/or drugs?

No judgement - I've done both copiously but not for maybe 20 years.

Interesting to read if those who stopped very young, too.

Pretty full on raving from 18-26ish, proper white gloves and glow sticks stuff. Then a more chilled festival life and lots of travelling with mates for a few years. Then ruined it all and had kids.

I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

I partied from around 18 - 26, loved it and don't regret a second. So many happy, crazy, memories! I calmed down for a few years then met my DH, we partied together for a few years more and now those days are looooong gone! (Sadly )

Early 20s to early 30s. I had a fantastic time, lived abroad, travelled, had lots of fun and met lots of interesting people. I have no regrets. But I’m an in bed by 9:30pm with a herbal tea if I can help it sort now. 😂

From about 15 to when I had a baby at 27, and I was ready, the nights out had peaked and the mornings after were becoming worse.
Still went out and away with the same gang but not as wild for a few years. Non existent these days as they all have small kids now!

I look back fondly at my party/club/festival days

Had a great time but started to wind down late 20s - the comedowns were starting to be pretty bad!

Tried a lot of drugs, I dunno if I was lucky but I had a great group of mates who all looked out for each other.

I don't even drink now. Gave up cigs about five years ago. Not had a spliff or a pill for a decade. I wonder if it would still be fun 🤔

The last time I went out for a big night out of dedicated clubbing, enhanced with pills and speed, was when I was about 28. And I remember thinking - "I am never doing this again." It wasn't fun, and I felt like I was chasing an experience that had it's time and was now gone for me.

I have had some great nights out since - but that hedonistic pursuit of the ultimate buzz, those nights when absolutely anything could happen, those nights are gone. And that's fine - they were amazing and I mostly loved that time of my life, but I'm in a different season now, and I am mostly loving the joys of this time too.