I am so proud of myself!!! I am celebrating my 14th sobriety birthday!! Its been a long, very rough road but I made it!! I was tested so many times I lost count. I admit that there were a couple times that I was so heartbroken that I bought a bottle of beer,… however I couldn’t drink it, it felt disrespectful to my loved ones that I had lost. So I threw it away. I didn’t want to dishonor them like that.
I know the mountain roads, so I would take a drive up mountains and regroup. I admit it was very, very hard for the first 2 years. I lost people who I thought were my friends, but they only wanted to be around for the drink. Once they found out that I was quitting, they didn’t come around anymore which was fine by me. I found out who my real friends were, they supported me, was there to talk to, even at 2 in the morning. I did A.A for a year and a half, then I stopped, I still have my “Big Book” and a few other books that I read on a regular basis. I do alot of prayers 
I spend quite a bit of time up mountains or on the river. I felt so hopeless, confused, angry, sad, so many emotions for the 1st year. I really appreciated the people at A.A, they helped me so much!! I made new friends who were either sober or in recovery. We have a saying “Alcohol had us by the throat but we took it by the ba!!$ and deba!!ed it!!”
I’m so happy that I stuck with it!! I am so happy that I wish I had quit sooner!! I remember every day and it’s not in a drunken fog!!! I am learning my traditions, teaching myself how to bead, making and canning jams, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, venison, fruit. I am teaching myself how to make pine needle baskets, took up crocheting again, different crafts, my favorite is making sun catchers with drift wood from the coast and some of my beads!!
If you are starting out, please stick with it, its so well worth it 
I am here for anyone who wants to chat!! ATTAWISHUMASH( I love you in my native tongue, I am also learning our language!!)
