Knowing Your Limits

Knowing Your Limits

It was a painful, cold night. I was sitting on my friend's driveway. I felt very lightheaded, waiting for this night to end. Moving even an inch would just make me throw up more. Then I realized, I'm never drinking ever again.

Watching a lot of television shows, movies, and hearing some of my friends' experience of drinking back in high school, I noticed that being extremely drunk can lead you to not remember what happened that night, who was there, or how you got there in the first place. From my first experience getting drunk, all I can remember is taking three shots, and what happened after every shot.

Before taking my first shot of liquor, I felt nervous, but excited at the same time. I was only nineteen years old and had a long way to go until I was twenty one. The feeling of underage drinking felt exciting and dangerous. The adrenaline rush was pumping through my veins, just by holding that one shot glass, filled with Smirnoff apple vodka. As I looked at my friends, holding the same thing as I was, to be honest, it felt right. The bonding of friends made me feel like as if I belonged there. The timing felt perfect. We then raised our glasses up high, "A toast to Julius's first shot," my friend Brixz, said. I looked around and seen my friends smiling at me. "Bottoms up," my friend Anthony, said. So I slowly put the glass to my mouth. I opened my mouth and quickly poured the vodka down my throat. I noticed right away the taste of the vodka. The bitterness of the alcohol. The subtle hint of apple. Then I realized the burning sensation going down my throat. The feeling felt great. After putting down my shot glass, my face made a sour expression, which made my friends laugh. A few minutes past, my face felt as if it was beginning to feel warmer. I felt light headed. My body felt loose. I felt relaxed and happy. As I heard my friends talk, I noticed my sense of hearing became sensitive and my listening skills greatly improved. My attention to detail was at its highest. It was the weirdest feeling I've ever had. I thought alcohol improved me in every way. I can vividly picture what my friends were talking about. I remember my friend Arnold talking about his relationship with his girlfriend, and how they were having problems over something so ridiculous. It was funny because I wanted to act like a counselor for him since I really understood what was happening. But I couldn't remember if I helped him out or not.

Ten minutes passed, and I noticed Brixz setting up another round of shots. Excited to take another one, I quiet down Arnold talking about his problems and eagerly waited for Brixz to hand us our shot glasses. As I was waiting anxiously, he finally handed us our shot glasses. I made the second toast, "To Arnold's problems," I said. Everyone laughed, then we quickly drank our shots. Again, the bitterness and the burning sensation of the vodka, felt the same. Shortly after, we began talking stories again. But after a few minutes, the second shot started to kick in. My vision became blurry for a moment every time I turned my head. My motor skills became sluggish. I became dizzy and my stomach began to growl. But I was still able to think wisely so I left my friends quietly to sit down on Brixz's truck's tailgate. I observe not my friends, but the scenery in front of me, the six o'clock sunset going down West Maui Mountains, the sky filled with colors of dark orange, light blue and dark blue, the clouds as if it were being sucked into the sunset, and the light trade winds cooling my face. I remember taking a deep breath to