On a Cloud

Do you drink alcohol? I do…or should I say I did? I haven’t had a drop of alcohol in ten months and I don’t see myself having a drink anytime soon. It feels weird now that I think about it. I used to be the type who enjoyed a good drink now and then. These days, I don’t even think about it. 

My first experience with alcohol was at a young age. Locally, 18 is the legal age for drinking, but my parents allowed me and my siblings to try a drink or two even before that. They thought it would be better if we learned how to drink around responsible adults. That way we could learn our limits when it came to drinking. It also helped us to figure out what our alcohol tolerance was. And we got to do it without embarrassing ourselves in front of other people. I’m grateful that I learned about drinking that way because it helped me learn how to drink responsibly. 

Beer was the first drink of alcohol that I ever had. It was what I usually had when I was in college. I didn’t like trying new kinds of alcohol unless I was in a controlled environment so I kept to what I knew. I later learned to drink gin, vodka, and tequila. Cocktails were never my thing, but I did try them at one point or another. I then moved on to different types of wine and that category became my drink of choice for a while. I also enjoyed a good shochu highball when the occasion called for it. 

When the K-Drama became popular, I learned to drink soju. I tend to like it plain, but I’ve also tried it mixed with different drinks. I’ve tried it with Yakult, Mogu-Mogu, Sprite, and beer. Somaek (soju with beer) was the last alcoholic drink I had; this was on the first day of the new year.

People who know me personally can attest that it takes a lot to get me drunk. Being responsible with drinking and learning my limits has improved my tolerance. As far as I can remember I have only been completely drunk once in my life. This was when I shared one large bottle of tequila with a friend. We were waiting for morning to attend dawn mass with our other friends so we talked and shared that bottle. While I could still sit, stand, and walk alone, I couldn’t speak properly. No matter how logical my thoughts were in my head, all that came out of my mouth was complete gibberish. That was about as drunk as I have ever been in my entire existence!

The thing that I enjoyed about drinking alcohol is that it helped me to relax a bit more. After a long day, a drink or two can help loosen me up so that I can rest better. I normally have a very good sleep after a good drink, and I rarely get hangovers. I say rarely because now that I am older, I started to experience what those things felt like. I think that is one of the reasons that I have not been interested in drinking alcohol lately. The last drink I had gave me a hangover and I didn’t like it. It’s not as bad as what most people usually have from what I’ve heard. But, as someone who rarely experiences it, I was very turned off by the experience. If I were ever to pick up a drink again I'd be careful about what and how much I drink. I don’t want to experience another hangover.

Drinking alcohol is frowned upon by some because of how many get addicted to it. But I think that it is a good experience if done responsibly. I do not completely agree with how young I started drinking, to be honest. But I agree that it would be best for people to learn to drink around people they trust. It helps you to learn your limits and tolerance so that you know how to handle yourself when drinking. 

If I were to advise people who drink or those who plan on doing so, it would be to be around people you trust. It would help you to stay safe. It would also help to avoid experiences (like driving) under the influence of alcohol. I’d also advise people to stay hydrated. That you should have something to eat because it helps slow down how you absorb alcohol. You should also listen to your body. Stop drinking if you can no longer handle it. Learn to say no when you can't drink. And please, learn to accept no as an answer too. Never force or pressure anyone to drink. Respect that we all have our preferences when it comes to things like this.

Realizing my “unconscious uncoupling” with alcohol made me look back at my experience. I don’t know if I would ever drink again, but as of now, I can say it was fun while it lasted. We all have different experiences (and lessons learned) from our relationship with alcohol. But despite our varied experiences, I hope that we all learn to have a healthy relationship with it.