Although moderation, planning, and discipline are things that I value highly in my everyday life, sometimes they have to take the (Uber driver’s) back seat for a night. And that night just so happened to be my 21st birthday.
Now I’m going to be upfront with you and let you know that I am no stranger to the occasional glass of wine or simple mixed drink at home, or the fact that I downed more Jägermeister in high school than I care to admit. But what I will say is that my alcohol tolerance can be described in one word: low. And this means two things:
- I’m a cheap date
- Hangovers
Usually if I decide to drink, I have one or two and I’m in bed by 10. But when your friends realize that it’s your 21st birthday, there is no such thing as nursing a single glass of rose´ and falling asleep watching “The Office” on your living room couch with your cats (not like that’s a typically Friday night for me or anything). Instead, I submitted to a night out of drinking way more than I think I ever have before and getting noticeably drunk for the first time in a while.
On my car ride over to the bar, I put the patch on the left shoulder as instructed and started my evening out. In addition to the patch, I made sure to drink plenty of water in-between numerous strong cocktails, shots, and double shots, and to not drink on an empty stomach (I might not be a frequent drinker, but I’ve got common sense!).
By the time I passed out that night, I had totally forgotten that I even had the patch on. And when I woke up that morning, I was surprised at the amount of pain and grogginess I had: none. Despite the expected lack of sleep, I was ready to get my day started as if I didn’t lose track of the amount of drinks I had the night before. I don’t recall even having a cup of coffee that morning – my hangover was basically non-existent.
Would I recommend anyone drinking every weekend like they just turned 21? No. But would I recommend having a hangover patch ready for when that eventually does happen? Yes!