My father used to collect salsa vinyls. I remember some family parties, sometimes our family members, uncles for example, used to obligated us to dance with them. In our house we had always a good radio, it has cassette players, cd player, with big speakers to play music. My parents were kinda nomads, we lived in different neighborhoods in the same city. Music is part of our life and culture. I remember we lived in the same house with another families. A young guy was one of our neighbors, he was having some rock vinyls, that was the first time I heard rock music in Spanish. Immediately I felt attracted to this music and I wanted to know more about it.
Some years later, I learned how to use the radio. My sister and me, we were long hours alone in the house, my parents were working all day. I started listening the radio and there were a few hours in some radio stations they were playing rock music. We could only listen music when my parents were not at home. When I was in high school and in the neighborhood, I met some people that liked rock music too. The way we learn about another bands was exchanging music. We were making copies in cassettes at home, this was before we had cable television and we were able to see which bands were popular internationally.
Alcohol was always present in the family parties. I tried when I was a kid but I didn't like the taste. We drank a good amount for first time with some kids of my neighborhood, I was around 13 years old. I can say that was the first drug I tried but I started drinking heavily when I was 17 years old. When I was 19 years old, I met this guy that liked rock music too. He was having a car, he used to go to pick me up in my house, we went to buy Rum and cocaine every Friday,.We went to rock bars, that was the second drug I tried. When the effect of the cocaine is gone, it made me feel horrible and guilty.
I stopped hanging out with him when I met another person that become my boyfriend. I quit cocaine but I continue drinking and smoking cigarettes. My boyfriend liked to smoke weed. He insisted and wanted to see how I act when I get high, I denied for years to do it. One day I was like ok, let's do it. I am the most boring person to be around when I smoke weed, I don't talk and I just want the effect finish soon. Definitely it is not my thing. I went camping with him to an area where magical mushrooms grow up. I still love the effect of mushrooms. I don't do it now just because it is not easy to get it. I did try it in different occasions, but not frequently.
The first concerts I went, I won tickets in a radio station. When I started working finally I got some money to go to concerts. I had a good experience with acid, similar to mushrooms but lower effect and chemical drug during electronic music concerts. I tried ecstasy and MDMA but my experience with it was horrible. I was feeling like I was going to have a heart attack.
The first thing I did after experimenting was quit smoking. The last drugs I mentioned, I tried it once and never again. I tried weed in different occasions, once was a small piece of brownie during my trip in Colorado. I had the same effect, I stayed alone in my bedroom, I didn't wanted to talk with people, I was drinking a lot of water to hope to help the effect disappear sooner. I quit all the drugs, I had some years without drinking alcohol, no beers either.
After I move to another city, once a friend invited me to go with her to share time with her office coworkers. They were drinking Whiskey, I don't drink heavy drinks when I am going to meet new people. I drank one beer and the owner of the house bring some snacks in the table to share. He put some chocolates on the table too, I put one in my mouth, when I started chewing it I felt like a grass taste. I asked him, what is on it?, he said, "it is an oil I am experimenting with, but I am trying to figure out how much amount to put in the chocolates". I immediately told to my friend to take me home. When I was opening the door of my house, I started feeling the effect. I was high during two days, not being able to cook or do my normal activities. The guy asked my phone number to my friend the next day, I blocked him.
One day after moving to this new city, I felt so lonely. I decided to go to a rock bar. In my mind I was having a plan of what I was going to drink. I order one glass of Whiskey, I ate some food and I sat alone in the bar. A group of guys were sitting in the bar too, they send me a couple of beers and I accepted it. A live band started playing, I stayed longer than what I planned at the beginning. The singer of the band invited me to dance with her in the top of the bar, I am not shy, so I did it. I got more drinks invited and then I don't remember the rest of it.
When I woke up I was in my house, sleeping on the couch, a girl called me and told me the rest of the story, she wanted to know if I was fine. I spend a whole day trying to find my keys, I put myself in risk and fortunately nothing bad happen and I learned my lesson. Now the only drug that I drink is beer, no more drinking heavily. Now I enjoy the taste of a beer, not the effect.
About the rock music, I still love it. Also I like experimental rock and fusion. I went to so many concerts and have great memories from it. I travelled to see bands that I like, I felt lucky to be able to see some bands that dissapear (Soundgarden, The prodigy, Crystal castles for example). I like some new bands too and recently I got some vinyls and started collecting cassettes. This remind me to my father hehe.
I drink very occasionally, not much, not alone and in safe company.
