Booze free backpacker

Champagne showed the croweded veranda as 300backpackers cheered. It was the travel companies 21st birthday and they put on one hell of a party. It was like most crazy party's the picnic tables became dance platforms we from spilt drinks, the fashion for guys became shirtless and girls bikini top. Me and my friends danced and sang in unicen on the crowded table. But while others held sangrettss I held a soft drink and despite being saturated in champagne I was sober. Initially I was self conscious about not drinking but ironically dancing sober on a table I realised I felt more confident then ever before. I felt healthy, happy and I did not have my drunk eyes on. Not as many people commented or noticed the fact that I was not drinking. clear head, being ... read more

Tomorrow I am off to Spain with an old drinking buddy for the running with the bulls. We leave London on a coach traveling down to Spain where the party begins. The last three drinks I have ordered prior to this decision have been a waste of money. I only managed to get halfway through before the stomach cramps set in and ended my night. I know booze free I will have more fun, the question is will other intoxicated people around me be able to comprehend that you can actually have fun without getting pissed. Saying this if people do start to give me crap for my choice I will not be upset although I will feel sorry for them, I will be disappointed in them but I will not let it phase me. The ... read more

Despite cultural differences and language difference, drinking has the perception of being a universal way of bonding among backpackers. Just like people relate snow to antartica, people relate backpackers to drinking. As a 25 year old from Australia travelling around Asia and Europe people assume that I drink. Up until recently this assumption was correct. Alcohol lovers could argue that the social benifets of drinking has lead to business deals, marriages, inventions and even babies. Others have written books about the health risk associated with alcohol such as cancer, liver disease, kidney disease. They have written books about how the short term impacts of drinking has leave to violence, serious injuries, car accidents and regrets. I dont even need to mention the distructive impact alcoholism has not only on an individual, but friends, family and community ... read more