I welcomed 2024 with a French 75 and Champagne and had zero desire to drink since. There wasn’t a huge aha moment or super traumatic experience that made me stop drinking. Truly, if it weren’t for it being New Years I wouldn’t have drank at all. For the majority of 2023, my cocktails of choice were champagne or the occasional tequila soda. Eventually, I cut tequila out my diet and exclusively drank champagne on my nights out.
I was never a heavy drinker to begin with but, I hate how drinking makes me feel the next day. I hate how it makes your breath stink. I hate cognitive dysfunction. I hate how it dries out the skin, makes you bloated and can cause acne. Drinking with friends was so much fun when I was in college and now that I am moons away from graduation, alcohol does not entice me. Overall gorgeous skin, a flat stomach and a productive sunday has been so much more worth it to me.
For the first 30 days of not drinking, I did think about mimosas yet, the mere idea of being hungover turned me off. The beginning of Lent arrived and I challenged myself to continue sobriety until Easter. Easter came, I had water and sorrel with my easter dinner and egg. I’ve gone to concerts, dinners and parties fully sober and don’t wish for a second I had a drink. I don’t think I’ll ever drink again.
I’ve been a mocktail mami these days & haven’t had less fun because of it. The fun I create at brunch or a night out is attributed to my personal well-being. If I’m in a funk and choose to go out, it’s up to me to curate a pleasurable experience independent of alcohol. The perspective of having total influence over your mood and enjoyment makes you so much more discerning and intentional about where and whom you commune with.
Four months sober hasn’t been bad at all, I’m still waiting for the real test at soca parties and the beach to see if I’m strong enough to not be tempted by the sweet taste of a frozen pina colada or a mimosa by the shore.
Have you been taking a break? What are you moving away from this year? Let me know in the comments below.