I know, this sounds like something that an alcoholic would say. Do you remember a while back when I said that I went drinking for 8 hours and still felt fine? Well, I have not drank alcohol since. This was unintentional due to other health reasons but it’s definitely something new to me.
My social life evolves very much around “let’s go for a drink here”, “let’s go for a drink there”, “let’s catch up over a drink” – drink, drink, drink!
I still go to bars and my signature drink has now become cranberry juice, of course in my head I imagine it looking something like this..
Being out on weekends not drinking, I realized how much I dislike the smell of alcohol. Also, my energy can’t keep up with people who want to stay out until 3AM but maybe that’s just because I’m getting old. Watching people being out of it makes me think – I better not look like that when I drink (I must admit it is pretty entertaining at the same time). According to my friends I shouldn’t worry though, phew!
The upside is that I still go out and have fun without feeling guilty or sacrificing the next day. Don’t get me wrong, I like to have a drink here and there but I hate being drunk because when I get hungover, it ain’t pretty…
Most importantly, I am spending quality time with people rather than just having drinks. This includes cooking with friends, visiting them, them visiting me, going to restaurants eating healthy food, watching movies etc.
Something that particularly stands out to me right now is how odd people find it that I don’t drink – “What? Why not? Come on, just a little, just one..”. I admit that I’ve been guilty of being that person but I will try not to anymore. There is absolutely no need to drink to have a good time or feel the need to because of other people’s influence.
Until now, I’m still not allowed to drink which is fine. Am I looking forward to when I’m allowed to drink again? YES! :D It’s not the pressure and it’s not a craving, I just like it!
Well done! When I didn’t drink I also felt like people found
it odd!
Ditto! I have grown to associate drinks with fond memories of bonding with good friends and family, that it’s almost odd for me to go for a night out without at least one beer (and a barrel of good laughs). On one whim to go sober for 40 days, I found that it was actually fun to be the one awake and alert! It was a bit refreshing, as well as enlightening. :)