Ok so as promised here is the video footage from The End of Semester Party I organised through my F.K.Boss promotions business. I was hoping to have a little more footage but had some issues with video cameras being charged. This will still hopefully give you some idea of what the night was like and what I am trying to achieve with these events.

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Ok, 2.15am 2 cans of Red Bull down and a lot of soft drink after a night out on the coast. By my calculations I’ve got at least another 3 hours of sugar and caffeine enhanced energy to get this second blog scribbled dow…. Hmm maybe I’ll just go for a quick jog. No, c’mon, focus; I’m a little wired to say the least. I will probably need to start drinking more water, especially when it’s more expensive for a glass of lemonade than a pot of beer, surely that can’t be right.

Two weeks almost done and I don’t want to preach like I’ve found the promise land, but I am actually really enjoying being able to go out and not drink. This is becoming my new identity and has allowed me a new sense of individuality. I love the fact I don’t have to feel like I need to be constantly buying drinks and being loud to prove to everyone around me that I am having a good time. Having the freedom to drive wherever and whenever is also extremely convenient.

I haven’t got everything figured out quite yet though. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but this is still just the beginning of my journey. It’s still awkward in some situations and I am gradually learning the process of letting go mentally without the help of alcohol.

I use the tips of previous bloggers such as having a drink in my hand as a transition for my own psyche. What to do with my hands has now become a big challenge. It’s time to switch off the brain, nobody cares whether you decide to fold your arms or put your hands in your back pockets.

The best tip I think is to be able to dance without worrying about what anyone else thinks. I am hoping to take this to the next level as well because I think if I can manage this then surely no other situation will feel as awkward. My challenge is to be able to stand next to that group of good looking girls that no-one dares talk to and dance with the unco-ordination equivalent of Monty Python’s Silly Walk, see below. Then give them an awkward wave as they all silently and simultaneously agree with a group look of astonishment and disgust that this guy must be off his head. Stay posted for the video footage.

The most important aspect for me at the moment is making sure I have something to talk about and not just taking the easy way out by asking the same questions “how’s uni going?”, “do you have many exams?”. I need to start forcing myself to attempt to control the conversation in a creative and entertaining manner.

One of my biggest goals is to really develop my social skills and to push myself out of my comfort zone. This means going out at any opportunity including continuing on after the races on my first day until 2am in the morning at a couple of different nightspots on the coast.

Having a great friend base has been a massive help in making this a fun challenge rather than something that is to be endured. However one thing I didn’t expect is the amount of compliments and best wishes I have had from various other people I know and have met while undertaking this challenge. So thank you everyone for your support thus far and yes I can give you a lift home next weekend.

Done, 4.30am and I am starting to get the caffeine shakes. Maybe I should wait till I’ve had some sleep before posting this one just to make sure it’s not the insomnia that is making me think that this is a great second post. Next day, 12pm, yes it was definitely the insomnia speaking, here is the slightly adjusted version.

I want to finish by leaving you with this slightly deeper query. Do you believe alcohol releases the person you really are inside by freeing you of your inhibitions; or does it completely change your persona; or then again does it simply depend on the individual person, the amount of alcohol consumed, and the individual situation as to how you act under the influence? Why do some people become angry and unsociable, while others become entertainers who are just out for a laugh?

Let me know what you think and I’ll speak to you soon. Cheers.

Alex

Hello Sunday Morning, not to forget all you other mornings of the week that may be feeling somewhat left out by the title of this blog. You too deserve credit for giving me a reason to wake up each morning. Even if it is through bloodshot hungover eyes that provide no elusion to the fact that I may empty the contents of my stomach onto the hotels front desk at any moment. But for at least one new set of eyes is a vision that is not impaired by excess alcohol consumption. I now look forward with a sense of trepidation and excitement to a future without the alcohol safety blanket that I have come to rely heavily upon.

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