Of course, a lot of the judgement around partying stems from its associations with alcohol and drugs. Even if you find deep, genuine joy in the music, fashion, and art embedded within clubbing subcultures, partying isn’t considered a “proper” hobby in the same way that crochet or the cinema or yoga is. And, yes, partying as you get older can be less straightforward. Your time is more precious, your freedom more sacred. But that doesn’t mean it can’t still be a meaningful part of your life, that doing it makes you morally inferior to #cleanliving members of the 5 a.m. club. My mum, now in her 50s, still goes clubbing on the regular. Maybe some of us are just meant to be party girls. Maybe we’ll never grow out of it—and maybe that’s how it should be.
