Sober October: A drunkard’s tale

When you’re a 20-year-old student living in the heart of the Holylands with four other girls and a Wineflair literally a stone’s throw away, it is very, very, VERY difficult to resist drinking.

So why I thought I could handle doing the really miserable Sober October fundraising challenge is beyond me.

It was just really bad luck that my October happened to be full of events that normally require copious amounts of alcohol in order to get through them.

This year I had a christening, wedding and a hen party to attend. All within four weeks. Completely clear-headed.

At least I got a badge!!!! #SoberHero

Thankfully though, the Sober October page gives you the opportunity of obtaining a Golden ticket, which is when some generous soul donates £15 to your page, thus allowing you to go on the sauce for one night.

My sister happens to be one such kind being and so I had a free pass for a wedding  smack bam in the middle of the month.

The booze was flowing, with everyone buying rounds to begin with before hitting the vodka carryouts back in the hotel room that night.

Excited as I was for a break and a night back on the rip, it just wasn’t happening for me.

Maybe it was due to the three-course feed, or the tiredness from a long day, but the alcohol just wasn’t appealing for once.

Forever documenting my sober struggles.

Being called a “fader” by my inebriated friends for going to bed at 3.30am (which I think is pretty good going to be honest) I have to say, I didn’t miss the hangover the next morning.

Actually, I didn’t miss the hangovers at all during the whole month.

Getting “morning after” snapchats of friends feeling “under the weather” shall we say, made it all more bearable as well.

No toilet bowl drama for my stomach

Other benefits of being the only sober one at parties is that you remember every little hilarious thing your friends do, and can actually document them all through photographs.

One memorable night I witnessed a girl so drunk she smacked her hand into a man drinking a pint behind her, resulting in the glass smashing into his face giving him a bloody nose.

Both funny and disturbing, I was so glad to have NOT been the one to do that.

Hehehehehehe

However, though there are positives to Sober October, and the proceeds all went to a a very worthy cause I don’t think the permanent pioneer life is for me.

Over the whole month  I only went to a nightclub once, and it would have killed me to go out sober again.

I also  realised that I really, really, really don’t like drunk people. They’re messy, annoying and talk too much.

The only way to deal with that is to get in the same state,and that just doesn’t happen when you’re on the non-alcoholic Kopparbergs.

Tastes just the same! Although effects are different 🙁

I was told going off drink will help you save money and lose weight.

It was LIES.

I spent my drinking money on useless rubbish, and discovered that a bottle of coke is more expensive than a vodka blackcurrant.

As for the weight thing… it’s hard to say no to a takeaway at 3am when all your steaming housemates are shoveling kebabs in.

From the finest of vodka to the lowest of wine, I’ll never leave you all again.

Sober October has definitely been an experience, and a challenge I’m glad I accepted, as many people doubted I would stick to it.

But it would be a lie to say I didn’t miss drinking, and when Halloween brought my future sister-in-law’s hen party, come midnight I was dressed as Black Swan in the middle of Carlingford downing shots like I’d just discovered the power of booze.

Free drinks all night after a month of alcoholic abstinence – I wasn’t complaining.

My Sober Hero certificate is currently on it’s way to me and I’m officially back on the lash.

Until next October, #Booze4ever