I just received an assignment in my English class called “immersion writing.” Essentially you put yourself in a situation you absolutely don’t want to be in and write about your experience. I immediately thought of the dark, cramped bars around St. Thomas that my claustrophobic self despises—until I’m a few drinks in, of course.
Whether it’s “Birthday Tuesdays” at the Wild Onion or Thursdays at Tiffany Sports Lounge, inebriation is ideal. At least, that’s what I assumed.
As a senior, my friends and I frequent these bars. I’m 21 years old, and it’s my last semester in college–why not be irresponsible while I still can, right? That’s what I thought—until I booked a trip to Mexico for spring break. Paying for the trip demolished my bank account to what felt like the point of no return.
After realizing this ugly truth, I decided to reevaluate my spending habits. In reviewing my recent and most common charges to my pathetic checking account, I noticed a pattern: Marshall Liquors, Plums Neighborhood Grill and Bar, Topper’s and Bruegger’s. In other words: pregame vodka, unnecessary rounds of water moccasin shots, mac ‘n cheese pizzas and hangover bagels (with a large Diet Coke on the side, of course).
So that did it.
With Super Bowl Sunday as my last hoorah, I promised myself I wouldn’t drink again until spring break. Sobriety for a month and a half was not exactly how I planned to spend a majority of my final college semester, but I knew I’d appreciate saving myself … from myself. And saving Topper’s from putting up with my weekly orders at 2:59 a.m.
One of my roommates celebrated her 22nd birthday a few days into my first month of sobriety. I joined the festivities expecting to be a bored sober cab for my friends, buy my roommate a birthday shot at Plums and cuddle up with my laptop by 11 p.m. Much to my surprise, I stayed and socialized sober at Plums for more than two hours and actually enjoyed it! The most annoying part though? A majority of my conversations somehow lead to the question, “Wait, why are you not drinking?” At least that solidifies my theory that being sober in a bar goes against usual college protocol.
Other than that, my drunken friends were wonderful company, and the drunken strangers were even better entertainment. I stayed put in one spot while friends came and went. I watched guys trying to pull it together to hit on random girls. I listened to groups of friends chanting before taking shots together. I gawked at the dance floor crammed with awkward couples: the guys continuously throwing their fists in the air in some attempt at a dance move, and the girls having too much fun to care.
I left the bar just after midnight. I discovered that’s the time when people tend to get a bit too sloppy to hold conversations anymore.
The fact that I had so much fun that night kind of blows my mind. By no means do I believe alcohol equates to a fun night out with friends. Alcohol can make situations worse, and it’s certainly not necessary for fun. Some of my greatest memories of college are from sober nights with my roommates dinking around and doing nothing. But when my typical weekends involve alcohol, that’s just what I tend to plan on doing: drinking.
This little experiment of mine gave me new perspective on my social life. My original viewpoint of inebriation as the ideal for nights at Tiff’s and Plums wasn’t necessarily true.
I’m not saying that I plan on giving up drinking altogether after this month and a half ends. You better believe I’m getting a bottomless margarita on the rocks the moment I arrive in Cancun. After returning to the tundra though, I’ll probably get right back on my old schedule of the occasional happy hour plus a night or two out drinking each weekend.
I’m just glad I’ve finally recognized that a Thursday night doesn’t have to be all or nothing: getting sloshed until bar close or staying in and falling asleep by 10 p.m. I can go out for a fun night with my friends while still saving money and being able to drag my butt out of bed before noon on a Friday. Not that I’ll do that every week, but it’s nice to have options, right?
Too bad it took me almost four years of college to figure that one out.
Anne Gaslin can be reached at gasl8257@sthomas.edu.