This past weekend, after a fabulous girl’s trip with my best friend for my birthday, I realized something that I have realized many times before—drinking sucks.
I don’t like the taste of alcohol at all. And it’s not because I drink crappy Smirnoff and other cheap alcohol. I try to drink nicer alcohol when I drink (if I’m going to poison my body, I want it to be with good stuff), and my family likes really expensive alcohol, so I’ve drank that, too. What’s the point of drinking something that tastes like rubbing alcohol “for fun?” Doesn’t make any sense. Doing a shot makes my eyes water and makes me feel like I’m gonna throw up—why is that fun? Why is that something we do to have a good time?
So the other night, we were doing shots, and it was my birthday, so people kept handing me more. And I kept smiling and grabbing a glass and making a mixed drink with them, because that isn’t so bad. By the end of the night, probably six shots (read: mixed drinks) in, I asked myself if I was drunk—it’s always good to check in with yourself when you’re drinking and see how you’re doing!—and I wasn’t, at all. And I was confused: I drank all this alcohol, it tasted like trash, and I wasn’t even drunk? What was the point?
The next morning, I woke up and felt like straight up garbage. And I thought about how I was sober all night, and how I didn’t even like the taste of alcohol, and how terrible I felt. And I realized I didn’t want to drink anymore. Drinking isn’t something that made me happy, it didn’t make me feel good…so why did I do it? I don’t want to do things that don’t make me happy, and I definitely don’t want to do things that make me miserable.
Not drinking anymore doesn’t mean I can’t have fun, or I can’t let loose. I love dancing at the bar with my friends, but I don’t have to be slightly nauseous and full of vodka crans to do that. And my life is far too busy to keep wasting days nursing a hangover and a barfy tummy. I can still have fun, I can still go out, and I can still let loose without spending my money on straight up poison to put into my body. And just because I’ve decided I don’t want to drink excessively anymore doesn’t mean I’m going to judge other people for drinking, or preach to other people why they shouldn’t drink. Drinking can be fun, and as long as you’re being safe, then that’s all that matters.
If you don’t want to drink, then don’t. Don’t feel pressured by college and by your peers to drink all the time. And if you want to drink, go for it! Just know your limits, and never, ever drink and drive.
Obviously there’s a difference between having a glass of wine or a beer with dinner. But binge drinking is whole different story. And I don’t want to do it anymore.