July 21, 2025 - Soberversary
Cheers!!! Today marks 1 year since my last sip of alcohol. Zero, zilch, none for 365 days. There was nothing special about that last drink because I wasn’t quitting drinking, I was just not drinking that week because 1) I did not feel good with all the issues I was having with my endometriosis, 2) I was starting a new job on Monday and 3) I was working on myself and trying to figure out exactly what would make me feel better (I even sent in a food sensitivity test that day). Did I have a problem with alcohol, I don’t think so? Did I drink too much, probably? I mean after all, heavy drinking for woman is considered to be more than one drink a day or more than seven in a week. But was I abusing alcohol and being asked to quit, no?!
One year later, I would tell my self – quit drinking, like yesterday! Seriously, if you had told me years ago what life was like 100% alcohol free I would have never believed you! Because let’s be real, alcohol is such a societal norm! If you think about it, and really think about it, can you remember a time that you went to a gathering of any kind where alcohol was not being served? Yes, there are obvious events that don’t involve alcohol but honestly most do. You get off work for the day and meet your friends for a drink, you have a really stressful day and go home to a glass of wine to relax, you run a street race and there is beer waiting for you at the end and you get the drill – it’s everywhere! As the author Sean Alexander explains in his book, we live on a drunk planet!! But I wasn’t quitting drinking, so none of that mattered.
Fast forward to one week after the last time I had a sip of alcohol, I am now quitting drinking!!! Not because I said I was quitting, but because I was literally dying and alcohol would definitely kill me! So here I am, 1 year later, alcohol free and living my best life! Was it easy, no?! I wasn’t actively addicted, I wasn’t having withdrawals and I didn’t NEED alcohol, but I enjoyed it! Quitting drinking was hard because of how big of a societal norm it is! I was afraid of missing out, I was afraid that I wouldn’t enjoy some of the same things I enjoyed before, and I was afraid I was going to lose friends over it.
What I found out is, I am doing more things than ever and many things I never imagined being able to do before while searching for alcohol free activities. I found that I don’t enjoy some things that I did before and that is completely ok because I found new interests that I enjoy even more. And I found that I did lose friends, but were they really friends? My relationships are stronger with the friends that stuck around and it’s so rewarding to have relationships built entirely on authenticity! The relationship I have with my partner benefited tremendously and it wasn’t until we quit drinking that we were able to work through all the hard things at a really raw level! We were on the brink of going our separate ways and here we are 1 year later engaged to get married!
I no longer wake up to hangovers, my mind is so clear and my body just feels better! Sure, I’ve had to learn how to adjust to not drinking at events where I used to never think twice, sure, I have to face all the hard things head-on and sure, there are times when I wish I could just have a drink with everyone else but the thing is, I want to live! And I want to live with a clear mind, an open heart and in the healthiest way that I can. . So you will continue to find me living “Sober on a Drunk Planet” (book by Sean Alexander) and enjoying this refreshing Mocktail!
If you find yourself sober curious, try it out! You won’t regret it, I promise!
