Alcohol: No Good Story ever started with a Salad

Before I get really into this, I want to enforce that I am of legal drinking age. I am 23 years old, and yes…I have a very high tolerance for alcohol. But I am NOT encouraging underage drinking with this article…just FYI. Again, this is a blog with my thoughts and they do not represent that of anyone else. Mkay? Thanks readers!

If you are like me, you rarely turn down wine or beer with dinner, not to mention that second (or third) cocktail at happy hour—but that doesn't make me an alcoholic, does it? Living in a college world of drinking, I’ve recently learned that people do not know their limit when it comes to alcohol. Alcohol affects everyone differently, depending on your genes, what, if any, medications you’re taking, as well as whether you just ate a big meal (food slows the absorption of alcohol in your bloodstream).

So how much alcohol means you’re overdoing it? For women, binge drinking means having four or more drinks in a short period of time, compared to five or more for men. I don’t drink daily, but I do drink regularly. That’s fine. I know my limits. (for my friends reading this…go ahead and make the mean girl reference. “The limit does not exsist!”)

THE KEY IS TO KNOW YOUR LIMITS

• If you find yourself drunk in a bar with your dress tucked into your thong…honey, your limit has been reached. 
• If you find yourself throwing up in a bathtub or on the side of the road…your limit has been reached.
• Know where you are at in the drunk stages: Feeling It, Buzzed, Tipsy, Sloppy, Horny, Reckless, Hammered, Blackout, Trainwreck

Major Keys to Drinking around Me

• Don’t use a fake ID. Are you dumb?
• Don't post pictures of it on social media.
• You will not order something at a bar and not have a clue what it is going to do to you. I will tell you because lets face it...I've been around the block a time or two in the alcohol department.
• If you want to get drunk and have a good time, at least have a game plan and stick to it. 
• Drink responsibly. Be around people you trust. Going out? Have a sober person to “baby sit” you. I don’t mind being the baby sitter…if you let me know that is what I am there for. I’d gladly make sure y’all are alright. Just make sure to tell me I am the responsible one for the night. 

All in all, we are in college. You’re going to be around alcohol. You can choose to drink or not to drink. No one is making you drink. No one is forcing you to do anything. It is your decision. Just be responsible. Ok?  Just know your limit. Cheers!