After several months of leaving this blog untouched, I thought it was due for an update…even if I’m not leaving for my travels just yet. While technically this was made for my travelling exploits, until I leave I’m going to use it for my general ramblings.

Enjoy.

There have been many-a-moment I cringe about, many-a-morning where I curse obscenities under my breath before unsubtly screaming “fuck” when I look back on my own stupidity, but lately such moments have reached an all-time, all-worrying high.

Some could say that it’s all a learning curve, others could say you’re allowed mistakes …wiser birds would tell the cold hard truth and merely exclaim: “ Liz, You’re a twat.” I can’t help but agree with the latter.

You get the evenings that begin so innocently, so chilled out, a few friends sitting around, having a chat.

A few drinks later and things, well, things tend to deteriorate. A prime example would be a few months ago when having a spur of the moment “dance off” turned into a game of musical bumps…for which I can only be grateful that we were at a house party and not a public place.

It took my bum four days to recover and my head still hasn’t been able to repress the embarrassing memory.

Then you get the evenings with the family, the ones that in films would be so calm and civilised, but in reality are a mix of slurred words and drunken dancing.

Finally there are the almighty, unbelievably drunken evenings that throw all reason out the window, make you think you it’s a good idea to keep downing shots and lull you into thinking dancing like your limbs aren’t attached is actually incredibly sexy.

Not surprisingly, such evenings are followed by mother-of-all-hangovers, which last for at least a full 24 hours and leave you unable to remember why you ever began drinking in the first place.

After several of these ridiculously drunken evenings, hangovers from hell and being ‘tagged’ on Facebook the following morning, I took a vow not to drink for a while.

Shockingly, it didn’t deter my drinking habits for long and only last week did I wake up feeling suicidal. Now, clear headed and finally fully recovered, I can’t help but wonder why I keep doing this to myself. It’s a vicious cycle of drunken fun and blurry vision (both the night before and the morning after). I’m also very aware of the fact that during my gap year, such evenings will need to stop if I ever want to make new friends. After all, nobody wants to befriend the girl ‘rocking on’ to Queen, spilling her beer over bewildered onlookers.

Now that my flights are officially booked, I’ve also been thinking a lot about the full implications of travelling alone. There isn’t going to be anyone to reassure me and tell me that I didn’t make an utter tit of myself the night before. Instead, there will be newfound friends speaking plain truths about my idiocy – something that I clearly need to keep in check.

Still, drunkenness will surely be the least of my worries when I’m backpacking around Thailand, wondering how to ask for directions and quite possibly keen to come straight back home after a day of being there. It will certainly be a learning curve of a different kind.

I can’t help now but feel that I’ve done my first entry justice and rambled for a sufficient amount of time. Hopefully making some use of this site will show some gratitude to my brother who so graciously made it for my birthday (particularly as for his birthday, I returned the favour by buying him cufflinks…he was impressed as you can imagine).

…And as for now?

 I think it’s time to go teetotal.

Happy 18th Birthday Lizzie! You’re finally of legal drinking age!

Have a great day!