Summary
At age fourteen, a young girls life was changed when one of her friends gave her a drink of Southern Comfort. In an attempt to keep her friend young Koren Zailckas took her first drink just days before graduating eighth grade. Although she didn't like the taste of her first drink, she was pleased that her normal shy, quite, self was changed after a few sips. Later that night when she attended a party she was able to talk to people, and more importantly cute boys, more easily due to the drinks she had before. Zailckas claims that this first time didn't turn her into an addict, but started her love affair with the bottle that changes her personality.
Zailckas however learned young that drinking alone doesn't have the same affect, and since her "drinking friend" Natalie was sent off to a boarding school for the arts there was a long time between her first drink and first waste. However, on Halloween night of her freshman year, with her closest friend (at the time) Billie, Billie's older brother Mac, and his friend Phil, Zailckas gets wasted in a grave yard. The same night she realized that being drunk with guys around gives her attention, and soon shes making out with Mac on top of a man named Clyde's final resting place. The very next day she had to be at school, but when she walked the halls with her first hangover she didn't feel shame, she wasn't the same self conscious person she usually was. This hangover gave her a sense of comfort and contentment.
She will be lucky throughout her drinking experiences to not get caught, until the summer of her fifteenth year while on vacation with her family and friend Natalie. One night the two girls sneaked out of the condo they were renting to meet up with some guys that they had met only once before. While Zailckas went up to a guys room to see the artwork hes done, Natalie stayed with his friend to have a smoke. A few hours later Koren looked all over the house they were at for Natalie, but she was nowhere to be found. After hours of looking all over town, Koren finally found her friend at another house, naked and barely conscious. Koren had to figure out a way to not only get her friend back to the condo, but also back into the condo without her parents finding out. In the early morning hours Zailckas finally managed to get Natalie back to the condo, but not without her parent noticing. Her parents used it as an opportunity to tell her that shes allowed to experiment with alcohol, as long as its in the house. They also taught her that day that no matter what you never leave one of your girl friends in public after they'd been drinking; this is a lesson that will always stick with Koren.
Although Koren had been caught, it didn't stop her from partying, in fact it caused her to do it more frequently. Finally one November night during her sophomore year Koren went to a party where she got so drunk she passed out and was unresponsive. After her friends tried to do all they could, her father finally calls and upon hearing his daughters condition, rushes her to the emergency room. She was in such a state that the doctors were sure she had been slipped a date rape drug, but after figuring out it was alcohol poisoning pumped her stomach. This is the first time that Koren realized just how dangerous drinking is, and that it doesn't make her invincible; but she doesn't let that stop her.
In high school Koren continues to drink, but only on weekends. The game completely changes though when shes gets accepted to Syracuse University. When she reaches S.U. she slowly slips into bring drinking about four times a week. All of the friends she makes is because of drinking, she was also talked into trying out for the cheer team (which she made), and to pledge a sorority (which she enjoyed for three years) while drunk. The alcohol also leads her to drunken disasters that she barley remembers, and to have a series of "boyfriends" who never really lasted very long. Almost all of her college years were spent binge drinking, having some disaster, trying to sober up, failing, and going back to binge drinking; this was the cycle that became her life.
After graduating Syracuse, Koren moved to Manhattan with one of her close friend,Vanessa. The two became friends because of drinking, and there friendship was centered around drinking. One night they share a cab with two guys home from a club. When the cab reached the guy's apartment, they invited the two girls in. Koren said no immediately, but Vanessa said yes. Koren remembered to never leave your girlfriends in public smashed, so she went as a chaperon. What happened in the apartment isn't recalled, but Koren was relived to wake up with her clothes on. This morning served as a wake-up called to her, and she soon realized that she was alcohol depend and that it needed to end. She has realized that her story of blacked-out nights and stomach pumps is too common. She now has cut out alcohol and uses her story as a concessionary tale.
Zailckas however learned young that drinking alone doesn't have the same affect, and since her "drinking friend" Natalie was sent off to a boarding school for the arts there was a long time between her first drink and first waste. However, on Halloween night of her freshman year, with her closest friend (at the time) Billie, Billie's older brother Mac, and his friend Phil, Zailckas gets wasted in a grave yard. The same night she realized that being drunk with guys around gives her attention, and soon shes making out with Mac on top of a man named Clyde's final resting place. The very next day she had to be at school, but when she walked the halls with her first hangover she didn't feel shame, she wasn't the same self conscious person she usually was. This hangover gave her a sense of comfort and contentment.
She will be lucky throughout her drinking experiences to not get caught, until the summer of her fifteenth year while on vacation with her family and friend Natalie. One night the two girls sneaked out of the condo they were renting to meet up with some guys that they had met only once before. While Zailckas went up to a guys room to see the artwork hes done, Natalie stayed with his friend to have a smoke. A few hours later Koren looked all over the house they were at for Natalie, but she was nowhere to be found. After hours of looking all over town, Koren finally found her friend at another house, naked and barely conscious. Koren had to figure out a way to not only get her friend back to the condo, but also back into the condo without her parents finding out. In the early morning hours Zailckas finally managed to get Natalie back to the condo, but not without her parent noticing. Her parents used it as an opportunity to tell her that shes allowed to experiment with alcohol, as long as its in the house. They also taught her that day that no matter what you never leave one of your girl friends in public after they'd been drinking; this is a lesson that will always stick with Koren.
Although Koren had been caught, it didn't stop her from partying, in fact it caused her to do it more frequently. Finally one November night during her sophomore year Koren went to a party where she got so drunk she passed out and was unresponsive. After her friends tried to do all they could, her father finally calls and upon hearing his daughters condition, rushes her to the emergency room. She was in such a state that the doctors were sure she had been slipped a date rape drug, but after figuring out it was alcohol poisoning pumped her stomach. This is the first time that Koren realized just how dangerous drinking is, and that it doesn't make her invincible; but she doesn't let that stop her.
In high school Koren continues to drink, but only on weekends. The game completely changes though when shes gets accepted to Syracuse University. When she reaches S.U. she slowly slips into bring drinking about four times a week. All of the friends she makes is because of drinking, she was also talked into trying out for the cheer team (which she made), and to pledge a sorority (which she enjoyed for three years) while drunk. The alcohol also leads her to drunken disasters that she barley remembers, and to have a series of "boyfriends" who never really lasted very long. Almost all of her college years were spent binge drinking, having some disaster, trying to sober up, failing, and going back to binge drinking; this was the cycle that became her life.
After graduating Syracuse, Koren moved to Manhattan with one of her close friend,Vanessa. The two became friends because of drinking, and there friendship was centered around drinking. One night they share a cab with two guys home from a club. When the cab reached the guy's apartment, they invited the two girls in. Koren said no immediately, but Vanessa said yes. Koren remembered to never leave your girlfriends in public smashed, so she went as a chaperon. What happened in the apartment isn't recalled, but Koren was relived to wake up with her clothes on. This morning served as a wake-up called to her, and she soon realized that she was alcohol depend and that it needed to end. She has realized that her story of blacked-out nights and stomach pumps is too common. She now has cut out alcohol and uses her story as a concessionary tale.
