My First Year Of Sobriety
06.06.15 ~ Sydney, Australia
When I went to Australia on a working holiday visa, I’d told myself I wouldn’t drink. I’d gone from drinking every weekend to just a few times over the past couple of years.
At the time, the expectation was to party your way through Australia, but that didn’t appeal to me. I wanted to be present, remember everything, and spend my money on experiences, not hangovers.
When I arrived in Sydney, I was invited on a night out and caved to peer pressure to drink. When the group I was with noticed I wasn’t going all in, they asked why, and I told them I didn’t want to waste money or time being hungover. I wanted to make the most of my trip.
On the next night out, I was asked why I wasn’t drinking at all, and someone said “All this no drinking, it needs to stop. You’re not gonna have a good time if you don’t drink. What’s the point in coming all this way if you’re not going to drink. You need to knock this on the head.”
This put me on the spot, but it was the final push I needed. I remember thinking, I’ve just arrived in Sydney, the trip of a lifetime, and you’re telling me I won’t enjoy it if I don’t drink.
That night I committed to a one year no alcohol challenge, quietly confident I’d have a good time and determined to travel on my own terms ~ not the expectations of others.
Later that year, at Sydney Harbour for NYE, I was called boring for not drinking and asked why I wasn’t drinking. I didn’t feel up to the no drinking conversation, so I told them that I had to be up early the following morning as I’d booked a Sky Dive to kickstart the new year. The adrenaline had me buzzing for days, and I felt more alive than ever.
When my visa ran out, I extended my trip, living in America for three months, visiting Dubai and Bermuda along the way.
It’s been over nine years since I last drank, and these memories are my definition of ‘fun’ while travelling.
If you face sober shaming this #SoberOctober, trust your intuition, don’t be afraid to go your own way, and remember, there is a fulfilling life beyond alcohol.
Sobriety isn’t always linear, but when you live life on your own terms, it can lead to experiences you’ll look back on, and remember for years.
