Alcohol-Free

“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” -Brene Brown📖

I am celebrating myself and the fact that I haven’t had alcohol in six years! ✅

What started as a #dryjanuary challenge (thanks, Instagram!) rolled into Lent and several rounds of the 21DaySugarDetox by Diane Sanfilippo and just kept going.

I turned 40 in December 2018, and it was a magical time until it wasn’t. I enjoyed birthday parties followed by holiday celebrations and relaxed on the couch nightly while I poured my dry red wine into a large, fun glass.🍷

It was too much. The magic didn’t feel right. I knew it. I felt it. I came across the hashtag #dryjanuary on Instagram, and it seemed like a perfect time to begin a challenge. It wasn’t too tricky. I gave my case of Josh red wine to my trainer friend and drank Kombucha for the first time. I liked the taste and soon replaced my nightly doom-scrolling by reading books and watching Netflix series with my husband.📚

It went so well that I kept going during Lent in February. As that month ended, I still had zero cravings or a desire to drink. At the end of March, a friend shared The 21-Day Sugar Detox with me to get focused on better eating and nutrition.

It was fabulous! I finally had energy; there wasn’t a need to cut out alcohol since I already had. I began feeling the best I had felt in a long time. I did round after round of the Detox, making it my way of life.👍🏼

Was it easy? No. But I’m grateful it was not too difficult. Sticking to healthy eating is much harder for me. So is budgeting. Sugar & Spending! More on that in another essay! I didn’t feel tempted to drink. I mean, a small part of me wanted to have one drink at a party, and another hoped to try a craft beer with my husband, and then once on vacation, I desired a tropical cocktail, but I didn’t give in. I had been there and done that. 🙏🏼

I found books about others who got sober and lived alcohol-free, and their stories motivated me to keep going. I filled my cups with mocktails and seltzers and ☕️.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Six years later... 6️⃣!!!

I have yet to go back to it. Sometimes, alcohol will pop up in my dreams, and I wake up thinking about it, like, did that happen? It did not. I don’t plan to bring it back to my life. ⭐️