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A Little Different
Absinthe
by Orb
Citation:   Orb. "A Little Different: An Experience with Absinthe (exp14944)". Erowid.org. Sep 29, 2004. erowid.org/exp/14944

 
DOSE:
1 cup oral Absinthe (liquid)
BODY WEIGHT: 210 lb
I'm writing this report on the same night as the experience, it's 2:46am. I wanted to capture some of the feelings I have felt during the night.

I'm 21 but inside I feel 3/4 years younger, I'm going to Uni this year so I'm kinda writing those years off AS my depression/confused state. It has nothing to do with this story, it's just a background.

My experience with mind altering substances is limited, basicly I have never known the right people to even get the opportunity to experiment. Even so, I tend to prefer using drugs that enhance or change the experience of activites I already do, like being with friend or just watching TV. To date I've used alcohol, cannabis and salvia divinorum.

I first tried absinthe a year ago, I was interested in its hallucinogenic properties, making it different from the usual alcohol. My friend got a bottle of Sebor Absinthe, it was expensive apparently but he works so likes to splash the cash around. We decided to drink some while watching the Eurovision Song Contest, it's such a sad thing to watch but I love watching it drunk with a friend or two. As a 'National Event' I prefer it to the World Cup and other boring sports.

We poured out a glass each over some ice, (one of the suggested recipes). It's supposed to change colour, that's another fun thing about it. It eventually went from clear green to a milky yellow/green, nothing as exciting as we expected. As for the taste, well it was pretty bad, kinda licorice-y but to me it tasted more like Bonjella, that gel you rub on your gums when they're sore. Not a bad taste, but not one you expect to drink. It creates a shudder after taking a gulp. Nothing except a normal alcohol buzz happened that night. My friend hated the stuff much more than me so he said I was welcome to the rest.

It spent the next year sitting on the floor in my backroom and then on my windowsill. The sunlight had made it go yellow, but the label reasures this doesn't affect it's taste or effects.

Well tonight I finally fancied trying it again. There was a 1/2 pint left in the bottle, enough for one glass. I read another recipe - dipping a spoonfull of sugar into the absinthe, setting fire to it and letting it drip into the glass. I tried it but the crackling sound in the spoon made me just stir it into the rest quickly. I filled it up with ice, got a straw and sat down to watch the TV.

The taste was still awful but I could take a few sucks, swallow then shudder. At about half way down the glass the effects hit me quite suddenly. It's hard to say why but it felt a little different than alcohol, no drink has ever hit me that suddenly, it's been much more gradual. When I moved the glass towards me again I felt my movement had speeded up. Every movement I made looked like lightning speed and like it wasn't me at all, more like watching a movie of me.

Big Brother was the absolute best thing to be watching, it just made *me* feel more social, I couldn't wait for uni, where I could drink with my flatmates all night, it was gonna be great. I just felt like I was almost in the Big Brother house, like I could get into any of their conversations. Then I suddenly got the thought. I REALLY wanted to go outside for a walk, I've been for middle of night walks before, even a bike ride once, so it's not too bizzare, it's just something I've always had to convince myself to do. I'm usually too scared of waking up my mum, we live in a bungalow. But I decided that after Big Brother I would go out, while it was on I kept imagining myself outside, I was looking forward to it.

At one point I looked over to my rats, I felt the sudden urge to touch and hold them. So I did. They're my kids, I love them. They probably thought I was nuts but I had to cuddle all four of them. I couldn't belive that I once worried I might hurt them or another pet if under the influence of something I would never do that. This enhances my love, not hides it. I always hide love when sober.

Big Brother finished at 2:05am. When it finished I switched over to E4 on satellite where they have the live feed of Big Brother, for a second I was relieved that I could still watch them if I wanted, it wasn't over. But I said I was going out, so I got my shoes on, left my jogging bottoms on that I never go out in. Got my keys, then quietly as possibly opened the door and porch door and went outside.

The freedom was amazing, I turned right at the gate and decide to walk round the block. The other side of the block is opposite the train station, it's light there and there's always taxis. There's also an office building next to the block. I didn't think about them for now and just carried on walking round the block. It's a main road but no cars past me. I decided to run, it was great, I held my arms up in the air wondering if anyone in the houses would be up and looking at me through the window. My keys fell out my pocket and I'm suprised I heard them and picked them up.

Back home, when I closed the front door it still felt like I was watching a movie of my arm's actions. I decided to make a pot noodle, I love to eat junk like that after drinking. Then I came in here to write this. I'm so fed up with chatrooms these days but felt the urge to go to one and announce I'd been drinking, but I came to write this instead otherwise it would have never come out. When completely sober, I never want to bother doing things, even things I want to do. I procrastinate too much, sometimes I think I function a little better when drunk. Alcohol is underrated by users of other drugs I think.

Even if this is the effects of alcohol, it's just a little different to normal, and it was only half a pint. I might try brewing my own absinthe, it would be a fun hobby anyway. I hope this makes sense in the sober world.

Exp Year: 2002ExpID: 14944
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Sep 29, 2004Views: 16,588
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Absinthe (4) : General (1), Alone (16)

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