We all know the feeling. Waking up in your bed, having no idea how you got there or what happened, feeling like absolute death and just laying there thinking to yourself: I am so hungover.
Stage 1: Thirst
You know that episode of Spongebob the first time he goes to Sandy's house and he dries up and all he needs is water? Well that is stage one. Thirst is all that is on your mind. You look for the closest thing to water, even if it's an old water bottle that you have to fill with new water from the sink. That brief hydration is enough to hold you over for a bit, but you know you'll be thirsty again within five minutes.
Stage 2: Pain
That pounding headache that signals you had a rough night of continuous drinking and mistakes made from the night before. It's the kind of headache you have had before, but you know why you have it. You brought it upon yourself. Yeah, at the time, that 10th vodka shot seemed like a great idea, but now that it's the next day, you wish you stuck to one drink and one drink only. Pop that Advil and lay in bed for a while; your brain needs it. Don't forget a pair of sunglasses. There will be bright lights all around you.
Stage 3: Grieving
Once you get semi-hydrated and you make the pounding in your head stop, you just lay in your bed. You lay there and you think. "What happened last night?" "Why did i drink so much?" Since you don't know exactly know what happened last night, you'll lay in your bed for a while and looking at photos from the previous night. Watching you make a fool out of yourself on one of your friends Snapchat stories, seeing that one picture on Facebook you know your mom will question you about later on in the day, and you'll just lay in your bed because, well, that's all you can do.
Stage 4: Realization
You finally decide to get out from under your sheets. You shuffle your way out of your room to find your friends so they can clear up what is a very blurry night. The things they tell you about what you did are incredible. You just cant believe you did anything they said. "You were literally pole dancing in the middle of the party." "You freaked out that you couldn't find your phone while you were using it as a flashlight." You're appalled, ashamed and honestly not even really that surprised by some of the things they said you did.
Stage 5: Acceptance
Fine, maybe you had a little too much fun last night. Fine, maybe that final rum and coke was a bad idea. Fine, maybe arguing with the pizza guy behind the counter because they were taking too long with your order of mozzarella sticks and two slices of pizza wasn't the best idea in the world. These things happen, and they happen to the best of us.
Stage 6: Repeat
You know it will happen again sooner or later, so don't be scared. Live life and party on.
