Drinking was fun for me and then it wasn’t. It became greedy, taking more than giving. Even so, I drank like a champion throughout my 20s and 30s. And with increasing frequency and secrecy. Drinking for “fun” usually meant: binging until my body physically said “no more” either by puking or passing out (or both), saying and doing stupid shit, blacking out, battling debilitating hangovers, … Continue reading Kids these days
Making the decision to stop drinking can be super fucking hard. And the uncertainty of what comes after scary as hell. How will your life change? Will you have a life? What will your new normal look like? Will people still like you? Will you have the same friends? Will you still go to bars? Will you still *want* to go to bars? Will you … Continue reading Unstuck
Yesterday’s hike was challenging, but so rewarding. Like sobriety. In both cases, I had to start at the bottom and work my way up, overcoming obstacles along the way. Some parts were easy, some uncomfortable, and others flat-out difficult. I enjoyed the beauty of the journey; cascading waterfalls, huge granite boulders, and blooming wildflowers. It felt good to be alive, healthy, and strong. Really good. … Continue reading I came, I saw, I conquered
We all experience ups and downs, joys and sorrows, highs and lows. How we choose to fill the time in between the peaks and valleys matters. How we choose to live the in-betweens, our lives, can maximize happiness and minimize suffering. So choose wisely. I wasn’t really living my life when I was drinking. I was numb and indifferent most of the time, or hungover … Continue reading Live to love
I had a weird interaction with a friend at happy hour last night—and this is a not-so-great-picture of my yummy elderflower and blackberry lime soda. I’m still thinking about it—the interaction, not the soda—so, naturally, I’m going to write about it. I hadn’t seen Friend in over two months and was excited to catch up. We got to talking about my upcoming birthday—hello, 40!—and Friend … Continue reading Forks down, everyone
Mornings are the BEST, don’t you agree? 🙄 No, seriously. 🙄🙄 When I was drinking, I wasn’t a morning person. I wasn’t a night person. I wasn’t a person, come to think of it. When I was drinking, I dreaded mornings. I’d wake up hungover, tired, moody, and feeling defeated before the day had even begun. The mere thought of coffee made my stomach flip … Continue reading Magic mornings
My ears did a double take when a woman shouted these words over her shoulder to her friend as she dashed to get in the lunch line. (It wasn’t the salad line.) I thought it funny and remembered one of my old “rules”: I didn’t eat salad when drinking. Something about the lettuce and the alcohol reminded me of milk and orange juice, and how … Continue reading I don’t eat salad when I’m hungover
I have a confession. A few weeks ago, I had plans to take a shot with my team at work. You see, it’s tradition. Something we do after every launch. It was April 2nd, which happened to be the 101st day of my sobriety, and the day after I shared Part 1. A successful launch! 100+ days! Time to celebrate! Perhaps, but you don’t reward … Continue reading #100days: Part 5
I made it. No, I crushed it. How’d I do it and what keeps me going? MOCKTAILS. Lots and lots of mocktails. Kudos to the bars and restaurants that have a mocktail menu. I’m not a big soda drinker, and iced tea gets old real quick, so if your mocktail game is on point, here, take my money. I’ve delightfully imbibed a number of alcohol-free … Continue reading #100days: Part 4
When I made the decision to stop drinking I didn’t know how long it was going to be for. I still don’t. ‘Forever’ is a big, scary word. I didn’t know if I was going to succeed this time, or if I’d only make it a few weeks like my two failed attempts years prior. But I also didn’t want to keep making empty promises … Continue reading #100days: Part 3
