I try to plan things that I can look forward to when I get to my destination, because drinking was always that “thing” and I needed to fill that void.
I would lookup places to eat nearby and plan on getting something really good to eat and then maybe figure out what streaming services the hotel has so you can plan on watching a movie you’ve been waiting to see, stuff like that.
The biggest things for me were making sure I had things to do and things to look forward too. Boredom can get dangerous in the early days.
I will go on my first sober holiday in 4 weeks and stay 3 weeks. I will travel alone. I will visit a place where it is very normal to have wine while eating in a restaurant and they also have local specialties. So, wine belongs to culture. (not to mine anymore!)
All holidays during the last 10 years I was drinking wine. A lot and at home/appt. too, during the last 4 to 5 years.
I am on day 116 and I was more afraid about the holiday thing a few weeks ago. Now I am looking forward to a holiday where I will be able to take care of myself, to improve my selflove, my independence and my power.
I will “just live” day by day, no special effects needed to be happy. Just taking care and live in this beautiful place. Will have super nice nature, the sea, sun and nice food, a nice airbnb to rest. Will focus on my fundamentals that helped me during early sobriety and are still fundamental.
To me it is resting, eating and moving.
Hope you find a way and inspiration through the different posts.
I’m a week in this time. This is the first time I’ve officially gotten sober. The other times I just said I was removing alcohol for other reasons, health or diet related. I’ve gone weeks at a time but once I break the cycle and start drinking again it quickly goes down hill. Moderation seems wonderful but I just can’t seem to do it. This time I’m committed to being sober because I do in fact have an issue with drinking and it’s taken me this long to admit it to myself, outloud where I can’t hide from it.
I’ve been googling things to do, I have a plan for good and working out will be a focus. Otherwise I found some cool places that offer mocktails and I might search those out for something fun that doesn’t make me feel like I’m missing out.
I’m excited to feel my very best when I’m running. That’s my current motivation. I’ll have 13 miles to reflect on this journey after all. Prepaid of every day and every step in the right direction.
Not sure if the link will work, but this is my thread of multiple trips, each with its own set of triggers, and what I did to overcome them.
It’s hard in the beginning, but it gets easier. And since you’re running, focus on that end goal. NO ONE ever ran their best marathon while drinking beforehand. It dehydrates you, makes you tired, and can aggravate stomach problems in the race. Mind you, I’ve been running since I was a teen and ran endless races while I still drank. My best half marathon time - even with little training and a gap of 15 years since my last - was when I was 10 days sober. I was 15 years OLDER, 6 weeks of training and ran faster than I had all my life, with energy to spare.
You can do this and you’ll be so thrilled you did it
Make a plan, find interesting things to occupy your time, enjoy non-alcoholic beverages that taste awesome - coffee, tea, juices, milkshakes…
Thank you so much! I was anxious leading up to this trip but after googling great places for mocktails and seeing how great I’ve been fitting in my clothes and feel focused and confident. I can’t wait to see how well my body does in this half. It’s my 8th half overall and 5th state. It will be the first one since really committing to being sober. I’m ready!
Can’t wait to hear all about it - stay strong and focused, I promise you won’t regret it. It’s amazing to see what our bodies can do once we treat them with the TLC they deserve
I totally hear you I’am booked for a 5 day trip to vegas on the 26th and im scared to relapse as this is the place to party. I booked this a couple months ago and honestly never get to travel anywhere and was looking forward to a get away. So i am gonna go through with it and wish for the best and look for activities and places to go visit thay dont entail getting wadted. I hope you do well on your trip as well.
So once I got to town and started walking around it wasn’t too bad. There’s a lot to see and I had the worlds best sandwich and soda. The harder part was when it started to get later and busier and the restaurants were buzzing. There are quite a few convention groups here and they are all hitting the town and having drinks. Between that and the very chic totally glamorous wine bar around the corner from my hotel I’m not going to lie, it was tough and I felt like I was missing out on all the fun. This is where the one day, one moment, one temptation at a time helped me. Just get through today and don’t drink. And I didn’t….I went to a chic place later and had a bowl of roasted beets and a mocktail that was delicious. I’m learning how to make my own fun now, it just looks a little different
My first trip, less than a month sober, was to Paris. Paris! The land of wine and champagne. Booked before this sobriety thing, of course. I told my husband I was very nervous, and did not want to take away from his experience. If he wanted a drink and it was too much for me, I would just take a walk for a few minutes.
I went for a run ever single day before the family woke up. It was the best trip to Paris I ever had. Saw all the sights early in the day and set the pace for everyone when they woke up. Knew where to get nice coffee, or a new place for fruit. Seeing the town wake up was amazing. I had energy to spare during the day. Remember everything. It was magical.
Now, was it easy? No. Tempting? Yes. But my mantra when I thought “maybe just one glass of white…?” was: “For me, one is three and three is ten. I don’t want one”
I also journaled every day in the morning. Had many struggles adjusting to sobriety. Had friends who are heavy drinkers push me to drink and I had to be very firm - said I was training for a race, so no drinks for me (you have the best explanation!). Had adjustments in the relationship. Felt selfish. Felt lost sometimes - who am I without alcohol? Writing it down helped. Reading here helped.
Keep it up - you’ll look back at it as a time when you lost NOTHING from leaving alcohol out of your life and gained SO MUCH.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It helps feeling like I’m not alone. I’m proud of day one, alone and tempted but staying sober. Going to focus on good healthy things each day. Way to go on getting through Paris, that must have been so tempting and you did great!
My favorite things to do when I feel like I could be tempted is to either buy pampering things (scents - my sense of smell is so much better!) or have a pampering experience (massage, facial, mani pedi).
I also sometimes decide to find something yummy to enjoy (no more alcohol sugar means I can be very relaxed about having gourmet chocolates or ice cream when I crave them. my sense of taste is also so much better!)
Treat yourself, what you’re doing should be rewarded
and provide us with some sober finisher pictures here.
