Tuesday 20-11-2018 - 09:36

by: Katherine Cornelius-Frend (Lampeter Campus Volunteering Officer)

Tuesday 20th November 2018

31 days. 744 hours. 44640 minutes. And all of them completely sober.

 

This was the challenge I took part in for the whole of October and though I don’t drink very much, it was harder than I expected. Hard, not because I wanted to drink but simply because of the social side of drinking, after a few people tend to loosen up, relax a little more, and though I still enjoyed time with my friends I couldn’t quite let go off the stresses of university in the same way as them. I found myself turning down social outings, as the prospect of being the only completely sober one just didn’t appeal to me.

Come the end of the month I was desperate to have a night out, and for once let the alcohol relax me and properly let go, something I often struggle with. The hardest part was not being able to properly celebrate Halloween, my favourite holiday of the year where dressing up is normal and you can let your dark side show.

But what really kept me going was seeing the donations coming in from my friends and family, and knowing I had their support as I trudged my way through the month. I had set a personal target of £100, one that was smashed. A fact that still shocks me. I don’t know if I will ever stop being surprised by how generous people can be.

I’m not sure if I will take on the challenge again next year, but I must say that if you are considering it, you should definitely go for it. You’ll probably learn a little something about yourself and develop a greater appreciation for you teetotal friends.