New Year, New Semester, New me?

A blog on school, health, money and alcohol.


School:

My classes this semester are drastically different from any semester I’ve had before and I love it. I’m taking Accounting 1, Global Economy, and Spreadsheet Computing. Since this is my last semester in college I thought I should pick up some marketable skills. I was registered for Music Appreciation but the first two days were completely over my head so I dropped it. It’s curious that I find accounting and economics accessible but music makes me panic. I can’t say why. So my semester will be pretty straight forward and all the abstract thinking I’m going to have to do will actually apply to the working world. No offense philosophy, I still love you, I just have to move on.


Health:

I’m working on eating healthier too. I am actually having fun making food and figuring out how to make it healthy. Right now I am nibbling on a healthy sandwich, at least it’s healthier than normal. Here’s what’s in it: Whole wheat bread, Chicken breast marinated in low-fat italian dressing and then grilled, grilled red pepper, swiss cheese and a little sprinkle of the low-fat Italian dressing. It’s so tasty, I can get used to it.


Money:

I’m finding more and more ways to save money, like downgrading my cable and internet, eating at home and using a lot less electricity. Soon I’ll work on actually making money too.


Alcohol:

If you’ve gone out with me recently, you’ve probably noticed I’m not drinking alcohol. I guess I should explain. I am not an alcoholic, drinking was not impairing my life, and I still enjoy a beer or a glass of wine every once in awhile. I’ve gotten a few questions from my friends so I’ll field them here.

Here’s why I’ve cut down:

1. I realized that most of the time when I drink, I’m only doing so because other people are drinking, not necessarily because I want to. That’s dumb, so I don’t do that any more. Now I only drink when I want to, which is surprisingly little.
2. (the most important reason) I was using alcohol as an excuse to do things I wanted to do but couldn’t out of fear or shyness. I don’t like lying to myself. So, now whenever I do anything, I want to assure myself that I am solely responsible for my actions. I also want to overcome my shyness and anxieties through reason, not booze.
3. Drinking is really expensive and fattening. If you read the previous part of this blog, you know I am trying to save money and be healthier, so all this makes sense.
4. Hangovers suck. I rarely feel physically sick after drinking but I’m always in a terrible mood the day after 3 or more drinks.
   

In case you’re wondering how to handle this here are some tips:

1. Pretend: I still love to go out to bars with my friends. When I order a club soda just pretend I’m drinking too.
2. Accept: Don’t try to talk me into drinking, because it won’t work. Again, I won’t drink unless I want to.
3. Relax: Don’t worry about drinking around me. I won’t laugh at you or judge you. I’ll act stupid right along side of you. I promise, I still have fun when I go out.
   

It's not a big deal. When people see someone suddenly not drinking, they tend to think the worst. I just wanted to acknowledge it and set things straight.

So, that’s what’s new with me.