"Why don't you like to drink?"
Any typical Friday or Saturday night I get that question. The girls on my floor squeal loudly and rush around in order to be ready in time for whatever parties are going on that night. You can hear how excited they all are about how much booze will be at those parties all the way from my bed in my dorm room. The hours following that entail dozens of sloppy Snapchat stories that show dimly lit rooms with deafening music. Then the endless, repetitive questions and conversations in the days following the events from the parties and what those people do or do not remember. That is what my typical weekend is like. I sit on the sidelines and watch others from a distance. It's lonely, but it is what I choose to do.
I’ve always been a social girl. I love talking to people, having conversations and going on adventures. From just glancing at me, you might think that I would love the idea of going out and partying on the weekends. But in reality, I try to stay as far away from the party scene as I can because of one key reason: the drinking culture that is associated with parties. I don’t drink alcohol, at all. It has never been a desire of mine to drink. The only time I ever did was when I was with my family in a different country where it was legal to drink. Everything was disgusting and so bitter. The taste was so awful to me that I know it will probably be something I will never be fully comfortable with.
This is a personal choice, and I know that so many other students around me feel different about it. I’ve heard that it makes for a fun time, or that it is the basis of many funny stories. That may be true. But I ask them why, and that is when the questions start. When people ask me why I don’t drink, I ask them, “Why?” and “What’s the point?” I don’t see the reason for why you should risk so much for moments that you won’t even remember. Why would you put yourself and the people around you in danger just for a ‘good story’?
I am in the minority on this topic, though. I spend many weekends doing homework, laying in bed, watching Netflix, riding my bike around Charleston and exploring what's around me. I take my time with what I want to do with the satisfaction of not having a hangover because of the previous night. I don’t have to worry, and that is the biggest relief to me. A large part of any college’s party culture is centered on beer and the aftermath of regret. People regret what they do when they are drunk, so why get drunk at all?
I don’t judge any of my friends or fellow students who drink. Each person has their reasons for why they do or don't do something. I personally do not like the idea of not knowing. I don’t like not remembering what I did or said. That concept frightens me, which only adds to my reasoning why I don’t drink. I’m scared to, actually. And I think that’s okay. It’s okay to be scared and worried.
I am content in my party-free life. I enjoy being around my friends and talking about anything that we want. I love that I don’t need alcohol to have a good time. Not having it in my life defines who I am as an individual and I wouldn’t change that for anything.