Ok...So I am nearly 20 years old now so I've been drinking legally for almost 2 years now (and many years illegally before that). Today's topic is - Alcohol.
Even though I'm young and single (which by society's standards means I should be out every night) I only really seem to go on nights out once a month at most. This is mostly due to me being a poor student and the fact that my group of my friends I've known for a years have mixtures of commitments, so finding a night where we can all go out is usually difficult.
I feel like such a boring old woman when I say I'd find it boring to go out every week but I really would. Getting ready to go out itself is a total pain in the arse. Thanks to the invention of facebook and its tagging function, I feel like I can't wear the same outfit out more than once in the same year, which causes the same dilemma every time of 'what the fuck am I gonna wear?!'. Added to the fact that as I've gotten older I've become slightly more high-maintenance. My extensions have to be in, my false eyelashes have to be on and my nails have to be painted. I'm only fake tan away from being on Snog, Marry, Avoid according to one of my 'lovely' friends. Gone are the days of being 16 when I could go out round Pontefract on a Tuesday night in hoodies, skinny jeans and converse with no make-up apart from lots of black eyeliner (everyone had an emo phase right?).
And of course, one of the most vital parts of a night out is drinking. Now I'm not really a big drinker (again, I am aware that I'm weird). Don't get me wrong, I love getting drunk as much as the next person but only if the occasion fits. I drink lots when I go out, but I rarely drink in the house, and I never ever drink alone. I know a few people who can happily sit in the house alone and get through a bottle of whisky in a night. Sorry but what is the point? It's just a waste of money and a very pointless and worthless hangover the next morning. You can't really get drunk and then laugh at yourself falling over can you?
I remember my first ever experience of drinking alcohol like it was yesterday. I was 11 years old, in year 7 and staying over at my friend's grandma's house with her. Now my mum's really laid back but this girl's parents were very liberal to trust us with 6 Bacardi Breezers each. I think even now after 6 alcopops I'd be on the floor. So we sat and watched Popstars: The Rivals as the members of Girls Aloud got voted through (yes, that does make me feel extremely old), and slowly but surely got tipsy. It was fun until I found myself hugging the toilet for 2 hours and her Dad then picking me up and taking me home. Ooops.
I've been in a few drunken states at times, I'll admit, but now I'm older and sensible I like to be in control. There's nothing worse than being sick and falling over is there? I very often have to babysit my mum when she comes in drunk. I remember an occasion when she came in at 2am and fell up the stairs 3 times, couldn't get her dress off and when I tried to help, slapped me and called me a lesbian. Apparently you never learn...even at the age of 42.
I'm quite disappointed in myself at what a boring drunk I am, by the end of the night I'm always at the bar getting a pint of water and then hitting the takeaway to fill up on greasy food. The last time I got really drunk was months ago when I went out with my ex. Turned out the £1 jagerbombs were not a good idea. When we got in I had to watch him throw up pure jager into the sink, all over the dishes, and then stumble up the stairs while I drunkenly tried to clear up his sick before his Mum saw it. Fun times. Oh and not long after that I went out, didn't even drink that much, went to go to the toilet, in the queue, and knew I was gonna be sick. I made a mad dash for the sink closely followed by a random woman who grabbed my hair out of the way and rubbed my back whilst I threw up in a very classy fashion. You'd never see blokes doing that for each other would you?
Now the only time I really let my 'sensible, old woman' persona drop was on my first ever girls holiday to Malia last year. You've got to though haven't you?
I was the wildest I've ever been in my entire life, and to be honest, I'm proud of it :)
I actually agreed to go a foam party. Now anyone who knows me knows that is very out of character for me. I am the queen of safety, if anything has a slight risk factor I will avoid it all costs. I also despise getting wet (immature jokes expected), and my most well-known phrase is 'I won't like that'. I never try things, I just decide on the spot if I'll like them or not. Like I decided that Ginster's Fiery Cheese tortilla wraps were gonna be disgusting, and oh my god, they are orgasmic. I would recommend everyone to try one. Anyway, i used my 'I won't like it' phrase about the foam party and eventually agreed to go but said I'd stand at the side and not go in the foam. Well, erm, that kinda didn't happen.
Pre-drinks of Glenn's vodka with Fanta fruit twist in the apartment mixed with various cocktails and fishbowls along the strip had got me more than a little bit drunk.
And so we arrived at the foam party and guess who ran straight to the front? Yes, moi. And after a few minutes I got the mindset of 'my dress is wet, I might as well take it off' so I turned my boobtube dress into what I can only describe as a belt. Pants were out and baps were out. I was rolling round in the foam topless, letting random guys drag me by the ankles along the floor not giving a shit about broken glass or anything. My friends were like 'yeah Rachael's definitely pissed cos for the first time ever she's not bothered about health & safety'. I'm still slightly shocked at my behaviour from that night, bearing in mind that I'm the girl who up until just over a year ago was too self-conscious to even dance on a night out, but there's nothing fun about being shy is there?
All the way through school and college I worried that I didn't talk enough, now I'm at uni I worry that I talk too much. I just think life's too short to give a shit what other people think, it's always the things you don't do that you regret. Like until recently I'd never dare make the first move with a guy, I worried that I'd come across as desperate, or even worse, get rejected. If I like someone now I tell them, I mean what's the worse that could happen? And if they're not interested then sod them, there's always someone out there that is.
And the same goes for drinking, yes hangovers and excessive drinking are not clever, but learning to become a confident version of yourself through alcohol and being able to stay the same when you're the sober is the best thing I've ever done.
