15 years ago, I had just started my very first grown-up, professional job at the age of 21. The boss was turning 40, so he invited the office to his big birthday bash. This was held at a hotel and included all his friends and family as well as colleagues.
It was a fancy dress party so on the day I was racing around trying to find an outfit, and then spent the early evening helping a friend do her hair to go with her costume. I hadn’t eaten anything all day (stupid me!) and when the party started at 6pm, just started necking the (free) wine like it was water! The food wasn’t served until 9pm so that didn’t help matters.
By that point I was wrecked. I was sat talking to someone and suddenly thought, I’m going to be sick. I ran out of the ballroom and burst through some double doors to find myself in the car park, where I promptly threw up all over the front steps of the (very fancy) hotel.
I was so drunk I didn’t think to tell anyone (you know, in case anyone came up the steps and found themselves wading through sick!) but there was no one in the car park so I thought I’d leave it. I thought I’d got away with it as I staggered back inside but unnoticed by me was a group of about 20 people stood off to the side smoking who saw the entire thing.
I then proceeded to locked myself in the toilet crying (I have no idea why!) and my friend and a supervisor I worked with had to coax me out.
They had to call my mum to come and collect me!
When I woke up the next day I asked what time I’d got home and my mum said I’d was in bed by 9.30!
For months afterwards, people were calling me ‘sick note’. I never apologized to my boss either because I was so embarrassed and I still cringe about it every time I think of it 