Leaving Behind the Person You Were in Your 20s
Reflecting on life as I turn 30
Many people spend their twenties in bars with one hand weighed down by 12 ounces, or 1.5 depending on what they’re celebrating — and, who are we kidding, they’re always celebrating something. A friend’s birthday routinely turns into an all-day event as if people are competing for the last drunk standing.
I spent the last year of my twenties *mostly* sober. Okay, maybe more like half the year. But who’s counting? While I’d like to say my decision to put down the bottle was because I’m tired of wasting my weekends drinking my money away, the truth has more to do with current events than my newfound maturity. Living in Los Angeles during a pandemic has meant being sheltered in place for months, surrounded by stress and fear, and avoiding human contact like the plague. Plus, my asthmatic self doesn’t want to get sick. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: I can’t imagine my family having to bury me via Zoom.
I don’t want my legacy to be a drunk. Even though my drunken antics typically consist of broadcasting personal financial shit or declaring my feelings toward certain people — and then drowning in a self-made pool of guilt and anxiety the next day as I try to recall the things I’ve said (and done). I do love drinking, and I’ve written enough about its…
