The city that definitely sleeps

One thing I realized on my way home tonight, having just left a perfectly nice party in mid-par, is that I've actually never lived in a place where I had to leave at the end of the night or risk not being able to go home at all.

Hell, I've never really lived in a place where "end of the night" was a mandatory thing.

I mean, I spent all of college either living in a Greek house, or being good enough friends with the members to sleep over. Plus, well, living on a campus less than a mile from end to end. And New York-- was New York. There have been plenty of times I've stayed over at a friend's or taken a taxi, but not because I had no other choice. The subways ran. I just wasn't always on them.

So really, this whole "well if I don't go home at 11 PM I don't go home at all" thing is totally new to me, and really confusing to deal with.

Sure, I bet it could be a convenient exit strategy. "It's not that I'm not enjoying marathon strip Risk, I just really need to be on that train." But all too often, I've wound up leaving things I was perfectly well enjoying, so I can see I'm going to need to make a contingency plan.


Relatedly, have a picture of the hotbed of urban activity that is Beppu at night.

99% of those lights still on are pachinko parlors.

So I guess there's nothing else for me to do but go to bed now, or have another beer and rewatch last week's (amazing) Mad Men. Either way, goodnight, Internet!