By Caitríona Ní Chonaill
We all know the text, right? You’ve settled down for the night in front of Netflix, when your phone lights up – “You coming out tonight?” You think about it, but your FOMO won’t let you stay at home if you know there’s fun to be had elsewhere, so you text back to say “I’m in!”
- Getting ready:
Who knows who you’re going to see out tonight? Gotta look your best! But is this a jeans and a nice top kind of a casual night out, or are we going all out, hair done and make up flawless? Many a fashion consultation with the groupchat later, an outfit is picked and we’re ready to begin the night!
2. Prinks:
I don’t know about you, but I have never had the money for a full night of drinks on the town, so pre drinks it is. Trying to concoct something digestible is difficult from the random selection of alcohol in any college-goers kitchen, usually consisting of a half-drunk bottle of Tesco wine, the cans left over from another housemate’s friend on a different night that no one wants, a variety of unappetising mixers and the prized bottle of vodka. A trip to the shop for supplies later, and we are raring to go! Music pumping loud enough to warrant a noise complaint, three drinks later, it’s passed 10 pm and the gang is ready to head out.
3. The Taxi Ride:
The responsible person of the group having ordered the taxi, herded everyone into it and made sure the door was locked after them, everyone piles in, inconspicuous bottles prepared earlier clutched protectively. The taxi driver is asked an amount of unnecessary questions on the drive into town and is probably very relieved when the first destination of the night is reached.
4. Venue 1:
The first pub or club is the safe choice, the place agreed on beforehand, with an appropriate atmosphere for the night’s festivities. Here comes the chance to mingle, to cast looks at the gang of lads across the bar, to drag your friends to the dancefloor and scream the lyrics of each song in each others faces, only leaving to take a slug of your drinks and then return. One friend will inevitably go home early to her partner or because of an early lecture the next morning, and others will pair off with lads they’d been giving the eye the whole night.
5. Venue 2:
Then comes the hazy point of the night, where you’re not entirely sure where everyone from your group is but the main group are moving on to another location where the craic will, hopefully, be better and the music louder. There is a certain amount of rounding up the group, then the gang leaves with much fanfare, to continue their night elsewhere.
6. Hometime:
The point of the night has come when everyone is ready to go home, and people start drifting off in their ones and twos, yelling goodbyes to each other at street corners and promising to do it all again next week!