Pleasant: writer and wine lover Marjolein

Hi, I'm Marjolein, 38 years old with 3 children. I have been a full-time mother for almost 8 years now and I know how to enjoy myself with that. When the children are not demanding attention, I prefer to be creative. Writing, drawing or crafting.
I am secretly looking forward to the moment when the youngest also starts school in September. What am I going to do then? Writing will probably play an important role again, as it used to be the case. But in what way that is, will be shown.

On January 2, I registered for the first IkPas period of 2020. The first day of the year I spent in bed with a huge hangover and a similar feeling of guilt. That day I decided that things really had to change.

I like a glass of wine. And in my area people drink regularly and a lot. So also by me. I've never seen this as a big problem. The problem was, and is, that I can't stand it at all. So that I regularly had legendary hangovers. For a long time I have accepted this as collateral damage. But last year I seemed to have sleepless nights and worthless days-after after just two or three glasses of wine. The advantages gradually outweighed the disadvantages. But my wine and I belong together, I thought. I can't give that up, can I?

That turned out to be unexpectedly easy in January. So easy that I don't really want to go back. That is why I immediately registered for the second period. I also planned to get through the time between the two pass periods alcohol-free as well. But on my daughter's birthday in mid-February I decided to have a glass of white wine. To really enjoy it.

The first sip tinkled in my mouth and felt very familiar. But after a few sips it didn't really bother me that much anymore. Fifteen minutes later I felt all the energy draining away from me. I finally emptied the glass and decided that I really don't need it anymore.

It is clear that I feel better without wine. I feel more energetic, although it took a while. I am more decisive and more determined. The fact that I managed to stick to my intention in January has also given me a lot of confidence. I have no physical appetite for alcohol at all. Mentally, I've had it hard three times at most. The challenge this coming period will mainly be social.

In January and February I go into a kind of hibernation. But in March and April there are some exciting things on the agenda. There is a bachelor party with very thirsty ladies and the 45th wedding anniversary of my parents. The goal, of course, is to survive these without alcohol. But my fear is that I will succumb to social pressure. Is a bachelor party fun if you're not drunk? Is the toast to a wedding just as festive with a spatter in your hand?

I will experience it and will write about it in this blog. The fact that I then have to expose my buttocks to all passers will undoubtedly be a big stick. I want to investigate how alcohol is interwoven in my life and how I can interpret it differently.