I went through an extensive drinking phase, as most do, after high school. I experienced the regretful nights that lead to no good. I can still smell it. And I really enjoyed it while it lasted until I started feeling the effects of drinking constantly. Don't get me wrong, I never got to the point of David Hasselhoff eating a cheeseburger on the floor, but I'm familiar with the excruciating headaches the morning after and I hated it. I had to find a balance.

I grew up with sips of cheap pissy Mexican beer my entire life. They were as enjoyable as taking a bite out of a raw potato. It looked cool, it was a peek at adulthood and God forbid it made you cringe because then the adults would all laugh at you. You had to act like it was no big deal, just another backyard party as a 13-year-old. Back to playing video games. This was the environment I grew into. I gave into it. So much that I delved even deeper into the beer world. I looked into the booming craft beer movement and dedicated myself on trying as much beer as possible every weekend. I was curious about variety from diverse regions. Almost like a wine connoisseur, I had to learn the lexicon of a "head, lacing, cask, wort etc". The delicate process fascinated me and I was able to look beyond the negative parts of drinking. I visited breweries around California and had a group of usual spots I'd go to pick up bottles. This absolutely led me down the rabbit hole. Soon enough I was drinking almost every day, not because I had a problem but because I was overwhelmed my such a vast amount of beer to try! Each area: San Diego, Colorado, Oregon, California's Central Coast, Northern California all had their own distinct styles! The clean, crisp flavor of an IPA felt right in the summer and the dark, chocolatey beers were best in the winter. It was a year-round activity that was part of my life for about three years!

Then it caught up to me. I felt an obvious amount of weight coming on, I was very sluggish when it came to getting out of bed, the headaches, the urge to drink again the next day etc. It became an issue that I had to balance. I started cutting down. I limited myself to one or two when I would drink. I bought lighter, but still tasty beers. It was the only way I could still enjoy the flavor without letting it interfere with my life or my health. Today I'll still have one occasionally but my tolerance isn't as high as it used to be. And I feel a lot better these days because I've learned not to treat it as necessity and to only do so when it's appropriate. I may be a "lightweight" but I'm much happier that I didn't slip into the pit of alcoholism at such an early age.