This is a little bit of a ramble.

It has been 7 weeks without a drop. I thought Splendour was going to be my hardest challenge, so I was breathed a sigh of relief and knuckled down to my study. I have now hit September, massive assignments have come and gone with enormous amounts of stress in tow; but still no real desire to have a cold beer to celebrate seeing the last of them. But Saturday was one day when I really needed a drink. It came as the biggest shock too.

I had Two major events back to back. I needed those drinks to numb the pain of the high heels at least. In the afternoon I had  a dear old friends 21st, I gathered there with four other close friends and we laughed through the old photo’s, remembered the old days and chatted. But a lot of the other attendee’s at the party I had not seen since year 10, since I had moved away for boarding school and then onto uni, I had changed a lot to them. There was the continuous phrase of “Oh its you Amy Plant, oh you have changed.” I would have loved to have a few drinks in me to break the awkwardness that was hanging think and heavy in the air. When people asked why I wasn’t drinking, the roll of the eyes and the thin forced smiles and nodding when I began to explain taught me just to say “I am driving” Besides that I was surrounded by great friends, which it was brilliant to catch up with. These girls below are some of my oldest friends. Sonny, in the middle, who’s 21st it was, I have known since the beginning of primary school. They were all some of the first to know about my challenge, and they have been so incredibly supportive during the past 7 weeks. While typing this I have began to realise that this group of friends really does not revolve around drinking.

These girls ARE so supportive of my non drinking, They have been brilliant during the past 7 weeks

Then onto the Monash Med Ball with my best friend. I only knew a handful of people and felt kinda of grumpy that I wasn’t also consuming the lovely free Mountain Goat beer that was on offer. But I powered through and had a brilliant time. Making new friends and realising that it is a small world, Dancing to a horrible cover band and then a half decent DJ, Eating some pretty scrumptious food. So all in all a pretty fun night AND not once did I have to answer the question of “Why aren’t you drinking?” but I think Daniel may have prepped everyone prior to my arrival. I really realised that I don’t need alcohol to get on the dance floor  or chat to people I don’t know.

Me and my lemonade, Daniel and his white wine - another friend that is overwhelmingly supportive with my HSM

I am a gemini, I don’t really believe in astrology or follow it at all but I believe I hold one of the great traits of a gemini, I rush to finish things or don’t finish them at all. Julie, off the film Julie and Julia claims she never finishes anything. I related to her totally, I have that problem too. If I do finish things, its rushed and often resented. I WILL FINISH MY 3 MONTH HSM! Do you know what my boyfriend Tom promised me when I finish? Initially it was to buy me a beer, that followed with a scoff and good luck. Now it is to go out to the Cold Stream Brewery about an hour out of Melbourne for a beer! We both love having some nice wine and beer when we eat; we have both wanted to go there for a while but now with my sober stint we have put it off until we can both enjoy it.

As the 7 weeks have passed my HSM has rubbed off on a few people, whether it saying they are going to drink less or that they are aren’t going to drink for a certain amount of time at all. I like to think that it is my influence. Tom is coming to the end of his Uni degree and has an incomprehensible amount of things going on. For a few weeks now he has said “I am going to stop drinking so much” Now it’s a “I am not going to drink until the end of my semester.” I like to think the HSM idea has rubbed off on him a little.

I think I feel a little older, some what wiser. I already see myself looking at the consumption of alcohol differently. I am posing a few questions to myself, “How will I look at Alcohol in another 6 weeks? Will I turn back into my old habits? Will I desire to drink as much as I used to?”

“What would you like?”

“Coke please!”

“Ha, are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“No, seriously what do you want?”

“Coca-cola please.”

…. Bartender walks off with out serving me. Rude

That was the conversation I had with the bartender a few friday nights ago. It amused me more than angered me. They are a jolly rude bunch to the non drinkers. That didn’t deter me from having one of my best and memorable nights out ever! You have to love a night of great tunes being spun and dancing until you get kicked out because they are closing. Always a fun night for the sober and the drunk at Miss Libertine’s!

I looked a little deeper and found some relevance to my HSM journey

The other day I was watching the ABC mini series “Marking Time” (a 99 cent buy from Savers! Score!)  Marking Time is about an Australian guy, Hal, that has just finished school and is taking the year off to find a bit of direction, he is not in with the best crowd around the little country town of Brackley but things change when he meets Randa, a Afghan refugee that is living in the there. Cultures collide. One part of the series really made me think about Hello Sunday Morning. It is after Hal takes Randa out to meet his friends at a party for the first time. The scene shows loud obnoxious people swearing, being racist toward the “boat people” that are living in their town and girls throwing up from drinking too much. Randa is not used to this behaviour and wants to leave. In the car while Hal drives her home, it shows them driving down the main street showing drunk people screaming, yelling, fighting, crying etc. Randa questions the action of drinking and why people do it until they are sick? She is extremely confused as to why people would and why they desire to act the way they do while under the influence of Alcohol. It made cringe slightly at the thought of how I have acted drunk, about how recently my friends have acted drunk and how I see people act when I am out. We must be a rude shock to other cultures.

I am 1/3 way through my HSM stint. It is a brilliant talking point when I am out, and yes my friends are coming to terms and swinging around to being a little more supportive about the whole thing.

Ciao for now.

Today was the first day I have slept in until 1pm since I started my HSM (HMS as I keep referring to it, bloody Navy Boats!) Sleeping until 1pm was a regular occurrence for me, missing Lectures and Tutes was also a regular occurrence.  In these three months I promised myself three things, have I started achieving or working at them yet? Yes I have. Am I kicking myself that I wasted half my day today? NO! because that was one well deserved sleep in.

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For me Splendour was my first weekend of my HSM journey. It was a long winding journey of ups and downs, but now out at the other end I feel I am a stronger person. Having still little or no support from the friends I went with, the first day I questioned why I was doing HSM, and why I had started it right before Splendour. But when I reminded myself of what I wanted to achieve from my 3 months without alcohol and when I realised what I was really at Splendour in the Grass for I felt a great power fill me. I was there purely for the music. I was there to experience, beautiful sounds, unique lyrics and captivating performances. I was not there to make a fashion statement, I was not there to hang out at a campsite and drink warm cups of Goon and fruit juice. I was there to stand next a friend, a loved one or a stranger and let the music flood through me. I was there to dance to a great beat and to cry to heartbreaking lyrics and that is what I did.

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As I drive through the suburbs of Melbourne while I listen to Arcade Fire’s new album The Suburbs (fitting hey?!) I admire what a pleasant afternoon it is. The sun is shining and the smell of flowers is in the air. I have my window down and let the music pump out and onto the streets I drive. I am feeling positive, I am feeling happy. Today is when I start my three month HSM stint. Arcade Fire is the opening soundtrack to this new chapter in my life.

Over the past few days I have been tossing up whether to undertake the challenge of not drinking for three months. I did have grand ideas of doing the challenge of 6 – 12 months, but hey I should not bite off more than I can chew.

So here I go three months of saying no to Alcohol.

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