I Tried To Party Like I Was 21 Again, And My 34-Year-Old Self Regrets Every Minute Of It

Hey! My name's Morgan, and I write about Black culture and all things entertainment for a living. But I want to take a break from that by telling you a story of how my birthday quickly turned into a lesson learned.

I grew up on the East Coast, specifically New Jersey, and a lot of us were introduced to clubbing at a really young age. Whether it was the middle school "teen nights," the lounges that were open for 14+-year-olds, or venturing off to NYC on random nights, we had a time! So, when it came to finally getting into the real clubs at 21, I was fully prepared.

Despite all the commentary on social media about aging, the idea of turning 30 never really scared me. In fact, I was really excited to embrace this new decade of my life. But after recently turning 34, I noticed a few changes.

I can't hang like I used to! Mixing alcohol? Forget it. Partying from sun up to sun down without a nap? Ha! Meg knees? Girl, where?! Now, let's be clear: I don't consider myself old at all, but I do know when my body is telling me to relax. Hangovers would last a couple of hours max back in the day. Nowadays, they last the entire day.

I usually celebrate my birthday out of the country (shoutout to last year's trip to Greece. Mykonos, you owe me nothing), but this year I stayed local and made my way down to a staple in the Garden State: the Jersey Shore (a popular region in Jersey filled with beautiful beaches, endless boardwalks, amusement parks, and waterparks). Despite MTV popularizing the area on a global level, the reality series only accounts for a small subsection of what it's really like.

But that's another reason why I wanted to put myself to the test. Here's what happened when I tried to relive my youth for my birthday by partying like I was 21 again...or, at least, attempting to:

Day 1:

Mission: Pregame (the act of drinking before the main event/party). My main event was a concert — the Queens of R&B Tour to be exact, so we started extra early.

Outcome: Successful! To ensure I met all of my goals for the weekend (drink, dance, dive, and dine), we made sure to stay somewhere that would meet all of our partying needs, so we set our eyes on Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. As soon as we arrived, we grabbed the tequila and got to work!

Because it was nearly 90 degrees outside, we decided to hit the private cabanas at one of the hotel's many rooftop pools. The water was the perfect temperature, so I downed a few more cocktails and tequila shots while galavanting in the water and having random conversations with strangers. By this time, my body reminded me that if I didn't eat something soon, I'd regret it in the morning, so I ordered a few appetizers and kept the party going.

I wrinkled at the perfect time, because it gave me just enough wiggle room to freshen up for the wine tasting we had planned at Bottled. We were surprisingly able to turn things up a notch because the tasting included bottomless prosecco!

This place was so cute. The walls were lined with bottles of wine and champagne. They also had this really cool machine that allowed you to extend your tasting needs. It was like a vending machine, but for wines and spirits — you insert a special card and, in return, it gives you a shot or double shot of a beverage of your choosing. Lucky for me, mixed in with the reds and whites was one bottle of 1800 Tequila. So, my wine tasting turned into a tequila tasting.

The liquor was starting to catch up with me, and if I was going to make it through the rest of the night, I was going to need some reinforcements, and by that I meant electrolytes! I grabbed a bottle of Pedialyte and headed back to my room to get ready for the Queens of R&B Tour. I can't tell you how excited I was for this show. R&B is my favorite music genre, so singing songs by SWV, Xscape, Mya, 702, and Total at the top of my lungs with my girls was the perfect way to end my night (which also happened to be my birthday).

Baby, we had a time! And all of the ladies put on one hell of a show! There was dancing, laughter, and a ton of nostalgia. I'd also never been to Boardwalk Hall, so I was really surprised by how big the venue was. Being surrounded by a sea of people, who enjoy love songs just as much as me, belting out their favorite tracks, felt invigorating. Ugh, I truly love live performances of any kind.

Thank goodness for that Pedialyte I had earlier because after the concert I still had so much energy and, best of all, I wasn't tipsy or drunk. After the show, we walked the boardwalk for food and, of course, more drinks! Somehow those drinks led me to riding a mechanical bull. Y'all, I barely lasted 20 seconds! It was my first time, but I still thought I was going to hold on a little longer than that. I'm definitely going to go back and redeem myself.

Day 2:

Nourishments were calling our name the following morning, so we headed to Hash House A Go Go for an early brunch. At the time, I'd never heard of this restaurant, but after eating there, I now want to try all of their locations because of their delicious food. They're known for their HUGE portions and the unique spin they put on common dishes. My taste buds were in heaven.

After brunch, we headed to a pool party at HQ2 Beachclub, where Shaboozey performed. Yes, the same Shaboozey that was featured on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album, the same Shaboozey whose "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" has been topping Billboard's Hot 100 charts for weeks. He had the crowd moving and vibing to his music. He really set the tone for the party. There were even some surprise guests, like Tiny (a member of Xscape, who I saw the previous night), her husband, rapper T.I., who had a show with Ludacris the night before, as well as some comedians.

And y'all know how I feel about being around water, so we stayed at HQ2 Beachclub for hours. They even gave me a birthday sash and more to celebrate my big day. It was such a sweet and unexpected surprise. When Shaboozey left, we kept the bottles flowing, and the DJ had us twerking and singing for the rest of the day. The pool party was filled with nothing but positive energy and people who genuinely just wanted to have a good time, and I was soaking it all up.

Most of our day was spent at the pool party, and then I needed a quick nap to recharge because baking in the sun and being around water always makes me sleepy. My 30-plus people, don't be afraid to take a nap. They really hit the spot every single time.

After my date with my pillow, we headed to dinner at this delicious Italian restaurant called Linguini by the Sea. Because of the size of our group, we decided to just order a bunch of plates and share them with each other.

The only mistake I made was going into my next drink order blind. Someone suggested limoncello for the table and because I didn't plan on saying no to any drinks this weekend, I agreed. Let me tell you something, this drink felt like a slap to the face. I tried to chug it, but couldn't make it through, and somehow sipping didn't help either. It might look innocent, but that drink is not for the weak.

Day 3:

Yes, we're already on day three because after dinner, I pooped out. I blame the limoncello. Day three was also checkout day, so we started off with a shot of tequila to get our day started, and then we headed to the Eclipse pool. It's both an indoor/outdoor pool that you can swim in and out of (or just use the exit doors). The design of it was so cool. I'd never seen anything like it.

After spending some time in my favorite place — the water — we headed to the casino, because there was no way I was coming to Atlantic City without visiting the casino in our hotel. Now, the only gambling I do is trying to date in 2024; other than that, I don't really partake, but I decided to play roulette, because I've had some luck with that game in the past. This time around, I did not.

Lastly, after checking out, we ended the trip by grabbing a slice of pizza from Tony Boloney's. One of the strangers we met in the pool was raving about it, so we tried it, and it did not disappoint. They're also known for their wild pizza creations, and my tongue couldn't have been happier.

Overall, my birthday weekend was amazing! Each day was filled with laughter and love. As far as my mission to party like I was 21 again, I'd give myself a C+ or B-, because my late nights could've gone a little later, and I didn't even make it to a nightclub. There was one literally in my hotel. But that's okay, I'm enjoying life in my 30s just fine as I stay hydrated and take plenty of naps!

Alright, everyone over 30 and up, have you tried partying like a twentysomething recently? If so, tell me all about your experience in the comments!