The impostor's hangover

2010 - 2017 I had the time of my life and that's not just a Dirty Dancing song. Wednesdays Karaoke, Saturdays - the regular night out in Oldies pub. You start off with a beer or two and you continue with tequila shots, Jagger shots and if someone offers, you'll take a whiskey too. 

You could catch me and Honey attempting some seriously questionable dance moves on stage, or if you looked close enough, you might even spot me busting a move on the tables.

Those days were pure freedom, with zero responsibilities weighing me down.

It goes without saying that we would return home long after midnight. Sometimes there was a feeling of guilt, especially when Honey's mom was around. I somehow suspected that maybe she was not my biggest fan because, seeing I was younger, she probably thought I was encouraging Honey to waste weekend nights out, keeping her away from her duties. I don't think I ever brought up the subject with her (so, Honey, if you read this, please confirm if my suspicions were correct).

2024 - I seem to always lose when I negotiate with my partner over who plays the dedicated driver when we go out. Living in the countryside has its perks, but the main disadvantage, in our case, is that there is no bus going to the top of the hill where we live. Therefore, we carefully strategize our outings. One of us has to pick the other one up or, if we both go out, either one has to drive or we take a taxi back. Last night we both went out separately and I offered to drive back. 

Even though I could legally sip on a beer or a glass of wine, thanks to Austria's laws (0.5ml/100ml is the limit), I choose to stay completely booze-free. I don't have the confidence of an experienced driver so why risk it?

Five or six ginger beers (*alcohol free) later, followed by picking up my partner and making the obligatory stop at McDonald's, I ended up going to bed at 1:30am. Add to that the hour change and here I am this morning, with an unexplained headache and hangover feeling. How can this be?? Am I getting that old? Have I lost my partying mojo? And most importantly, is it even worth to fight this? Oh, 39, I can’t even say you’ll catch me by surprise!

From parking purgatory to driving delight

I've got this daily commute.  Ten whole kilometers of highway, just to shuffle back and forth to work. But the real kicker is when I get past my little town and hit that twisty countryside road. Oh boy, the sights! It's like stepping into a postcard. I live for that part of the drive.

Every single time I'm behind the wheel, I'm counting my lucky stars. I mean, who would've guessed? Me, driving! After a lifetime of struggles, I finally snagged my license in my mid thirties. Talk about being a late bloomer!

Let me take you back to my first attempt at the driving test, here in Austria. I failed miserably from the get-go. First exercise: reverse parking. Parking?? HA HA HA...But hey, after a small fortune spent on extra lessons, I aced it on round two.

My driving school days? Oh man, those were the days. I fell head over heels for that manual transmission car. Somehow fate smiled upon me, because now I own the same car. Well, me and the bank, that is. But who cares? The universe had my back!

Fast forward to today, coming back home, whispering some sweet words to the "no indicator" car in front of me. Feeling important like a true driving queen as I elegantly take each turn. Out of the blue, reality check! My beloved car? Automatic. I'm no Formula 1 ace (unlike my "Nicky Lauda" partner). Oh dear, oh dear...My crown fell for a second!

But you know what? I'm absolutely rocking this whole "accelerate, brake, indicate" gig, and it feels fantastic!

Like the not so famous German song goes: Wie heißt die Mutter von Niki Lauda? Mama Lauda, Mama Lauda 😂

Silly aha moments

Behold the mystical phenomenon known as the "aha moment"! It's like the universe playing a game of peek-a-boo with your brain. You're just minding your own business, and bam - it hits you like a ton of bricks, or in my case, like a ton of "sh.t, I'm an idiot but... whatever."

I used to think these “epiphanies” would come to me during deep intellectual pursuits, you know, while pondering the secrets of the universe or decoding the meaning of life. But oh no, fate has a crazy sense of humor. It prefers to deliver these moments when you least expect them, usually in the form of hilariously absurd realizations that make you question your entire existence.

Forget about having deep insights while reading a profound book or watching the news. Nope, my aha moments prefer to crash the party uninvited, just to spice things up a bit. And let me tell you, they're more unpredictable than the weather in Salzburg.

Social media is a goldmine for triggering these "breakthrough" moments. Like today, when I stumbled upon an ad for a cleaning company on Insta. This guy was preaching about starting cleaning from the easiest (less dirty) surface to the heaviest, comparing it to taking a shower and starting with your face. And then it hit me like a ton of cleaning supplies – I've been doing it all wrong!!! I mean, who knew your face deserved more attention in the shower than just a quick rinse between brushing your teeth and slapping on some makeup?

But that triggered a memory! I remembered that time when I called my mom to complain about my ex washing my white bra with his colored clothes. Oh, the horror! I was ranting about it as if it was the end of the world. And then my mom dropped the bomb – at least he didn't toss the underwear in with the kitchen towels. 

Aha...hmm! Talk about a reality check delivered with a side of guilt.

So, my friends, embrace these aha moments. Laugh at yourself, shake your head in disbelief, and then carry on with life because at least it's never boring!