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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 we already now this.
I am not an alcoholic. Some of the best nights of my life have started with a drink, but also many of the worst nights of my life have started with a drink. I have a useless stomach and the affects of alcohol on my body is simply not worth drinking. I only have two months left of travel and I want to make the most of it.
This is not an anti drinking blog. I am not going to tell you that you shouldn't appreciate a glass of wine with a nice meal every now and then or that you shouldn't enjoy a beer while watching the footy on the weekend. It is a blog about facing the social challenge of not drinking. People should feel like they have a choice when it comes to drinking because its their body that pays the consequences. Unfortunatly in todays society many twenty something year olds feel like the social pressures means that they do not have a choice.
I am writing this to hopefully encourage people that want to cut back on drinking or just feel like a night out or catching up with a mate without alcohol for a change to make the choice and do it.
I am also going to set up a link so you can sponsor me. 100% of all donation will go to the chariety.
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Gwenda
non-member comment
Proud of you
Hi Kate, Just read your blog. It's hard not drinking in the world as we know it. As time passes it will get easier. In reality, you don't find happiness in a bottle, it comes from strength within.