No Alcohol, No Problem
We recently had our company's annual Rest & Relaxation outing and I did something new this year:
I intentionally did not drink any alcohol.
I was able to avoid most of the tagay from my officemates by claiming to be on medication (the said medication being Vitamin C). I only failed with one persistent officemate but that was a single shot glass of whatever people are drinking nowadays.
It might be me hitting my 30s milestone, but I no longer crave it. I still look for the ambiance of alcohol-fueled locations. The boom of EDM, the noise, the dancing, the socialising, but now I want to partake in them without chemicals altering my cognition.
The whole night, as we belted one karaoke hit after another, pumped our fists in the air, and danced the otso-otso, I was sipping only blue lemonade.
I was still peeing as much as my drunken peers, I was still having just as much fun. But I was more lucid, not missing anything, and the best part: I woke up the next morning remembering everything and feeling great. While others were taking their clothes off and rolling around on the floor, I was sober, enjoying the entertainment around me.
I like this change. As someone who used to party until I'm reeling from intoxication, this was a surprising but welcome development.
I think I'll continue being a teetotaler for a while longer. Alcohol has proven to be something I won't really miss as I grow older.
Written at Acuatico Beach Resort, Laiya, Batangas
-jgzn