Day 149 here. Crazy. I usually dry out every January 1 and this year I just wanted to go further than last year (54 days) but I just kept rolling along and here I am. I think it was all the $$$ I wasn’t spending that was really driving me.
I have a family vacation coming up in a few weeks and I’m wondering everyone’s thoughts on drinking on vacation then being able to taper off again instead of revving back up to wine every night.
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It’s up to you, but quiting (or tapering down) wil be as hard and maybe harder then the first time! I worked very hard to come were I am now. Don’t want to do it all over again, ever! 
Going for a holiday myself tomorow. My addicted mind has whispered allready: “you can have just one Sangria”. But I’m not going to do that.
Why should I? I don’t need those drinking days back in my life again! I like my life just as it is now 
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If you are anything like most of us here if you start drinking it will be bad news
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I don’t recommend it. I just experienced my first sober vacation from Hawaii last month. The last 2 times I went I was drunk the entire time. Felt refreshed the whole time and ended up coming back with 450 out my 600 spending money. It would have been way lower if I was drinking.
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I drank on my vacation to the UK last summer and it ended up being the beginning of a very long and hard relapse. Honestly, you are further ahead to just not drink on vacation.
Remember, you don’t need alcohol to enjoy your vacation.
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It’s not worth it.
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This is GOLD!
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i thought the same thing - and decided to drink on my holiday. went right back to old patterns as soon as i got back home (and of course drank heavily while on holiday). really wish i would have just decided to seek a good park to run in, or yoga class - instead of caving in to drinking. you can always ask for mocktails, too!
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The first time I went on holiday after becoming sober I planned to do things that I didn’t normally do such as taking my kids crabbing, going to the little vintage cinema and attending an AA meeting. Before I went on the holiday I was a bit worried but when I got there I did what I had planned to do and I loved.
For the first time I didn’t totally base my holiday around alcohol.
I quickly realised my holiday (and all holidays since) have been so much more enjoyable when alcohol has been a big no no!
I hope you enjoy your vacation.
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I’ve had this experience in the past and when I drank on vacation I was worse than ever. Since I didn’t have to work or had any responsibilities I over did it (extra over did it) and ended up sick most days and didn’t enjoy an entire week cruise. Sad. I missed excursions, shows, and dinner on most nights. What a waste! Been on vacation ever since… went to Vegas (I know sin city!) sober and it was the best experience ever! Saw shows, walked the strip up and down and really took in the city. I also was able to enjoy full days instead of laying sick in bed all day. Try it! A sober vacation… you won’t regret it!!
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I know it doesn’t work for me. Usually drink beer with the brother in law’s when we get together for family vacations, and with in a few days I am back to a bottle or more of bourbon. I have also found that not drinking is not as big a deal to others as we imagine it is. So good luck.
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Why ruin a run of 150 days. If you’re like me it was bloody hard at the start.
Why would you want to go through that again?
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I’m on holiday right now, 197 days in, I can honestly say it’s the best holiday I’ve had in ten years (it’s my first sober one in that time)
I’ve been able to be fully present and fully prepared to participate in everything we have done, last year I was present in body but feeling terrible and my mind was in constant overdrive as to when I could next drink and where I could get it from. Being sober has been a relief, just enjoying a holiday without all the wasted time and money invested in drinking.
Of course the “could I just drink on holiday?” Thought ran through my mind but I’ve been there done that one before and carried on drinking for months afterwards. It won’t be any easier to stop next time than it was this time, in fact it will probably be harder. In my mind it just isn’t worth the cost
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Glad your having such a great time 
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Thank you, it’s certainly been a revelation, I hate to think of the good times I missed out on on holiday because I was busy planning where to get my next drink from 
Here’s a post that you previously wrote to someone. It looks like you answered your own question.
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How I know it doesn’t bear thinking about!
onwards an upwards.x
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Another +1 for sober holidays.
I went to the south of France last summer (sober). Went the year before too (drunk). Last year was sooo much better. I hired a car and we went to a zoo, some botanical gardens, did watersports, went on some amazing walks in beautiful places, found a lake surrounded by trees to swim in, saw the most breathtaking night sky and some shooting stars, had a cup of tea on the balcony as the sun came up each morning, read books in the garden, got to know our airbnb hosts and had dinner with them the last night before we left…
Compare that to the year before, we could only walk or get the train places because we basically hit up bars with a bit of sightseeing between them. Spent loads more money. Wasted mornings hungover. Had quite a lot of arguments. Embarrassed myself in the bars and restaurants in the town where we stayed. Tbh that pretty much describes every holiday I’ve had since I started drinking.
Where are you going on holiday? What could you do if you were sober that you couldn’t do drunk?
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I’m thinking the same now feel a bit stressed about it I’m 4 months and 15 day sober but going on a summer holiday in 3 weeks and its making me think so much about drinking cause I normally would on holiday but I think I’m gonna try fight this
Thing is, not being funny an all. But your 4 and a half months sober!. Why would you even be thinking of drinking? Are you not enjoying sober life?
I’m sorry, I can’t get my head around this train of thinking.
I’m going on holiday in August. But I’m not drinking, because I don’t drink. I’m an alcoholic!
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