…and all other alcohol, that is. Midnight tonight will mark the end of our year without consuming any alcohol [full disclosure: other legal items were enjoyed]. Reading back at my post this time last year, it’s interesting to see how life throws you curveballs. I talked Melissa into doing this, in part to get my health back on track. I’d gained 15 lbs since my all time low and I wanted to turn things around. I lost 10+ pounds in the first four months of the year, but then hurt my back in April. I tried various exercise routines, but nothing really stuck. I did do my first two 5Ks ever, which I don’t think would have ever happened had I not been drinking. I also haven’t gained much weight since hurting it; likely another benefit. All in all, we slept better, we went outside more, and we probably saved a good bit of money. I learned a lot about myself and am glad I was able to stick with it.
The question I get most often is whether I will continue into next year. For awhile, I seriously considered never drinking again. I had my reasons, but I don’t think they were entirely the right ones. Truth is, I now think a moderate amount of social drinking will be good for me. I don’t want to ever get anywhere close to where we were in 2014 and yet, abstinence is not for me. I have actually had two medical professionals tell me, in so many words, that I should have a drink and relax. I wouldn’t call that a license, per se, but it tells me being hard-nosed about not drinking didn’t mesh well for me. The short answer is yes, we will reintroduce it into our lives.
The second question I get most often is how we’re celebrating and/or what drink I’m going to have. The answer is we currently have no plans and, given the drink is probably a function of the place, have no idea what drink I want. In what is likely a sign of things to come, we’ll probably have a quiet night at home or do something low key like stop in a neighborhood bar. Hard alcohol doesn’t appeal much to me these days, so I’ll probably just have a really good beer. We are hosting a small get together at a newly opened beer hall in Seattle, so that’ll be a nice way to take have beverage with friends, take a deep breath, and relax.
As I mentioned, I learned a lot over the course of a year. Included below are a few that really stick with me. Would I do it again? Maybe… but not for awhile.
- A lot of people told me I’d never make it. I don’t know if that’s an indication of their opinion of me or they’re speaking subconsciously about themselves, but there it was. I was really surprised at how pessimistic some people were. As you probably know, this made me want to be successful even more.
- Bartenders are your new best friends. They’re either giving you free (non-alcoholic) drinks or giving you emotional support for, what I think, is being an alcoholic. I was surprised, in a very different way, just how supportive they were of complete strangers. Working at a bar has it’s risks and I think I saw a side of them.
- Dinners out aren’t nearly as… special. Alcohol doesn’t make the world go round, but there’s something mechanical about going out to dinner and then heading home. Having a glass of wine or a nice cocktail just seems to slow dinner, and the world, down. I’ve found taking an Uber can really help make it feel like you’re not just running another errand.
- People are sometimes uncomfortable… or considerate… about drinking around you. We had to remind people more than once that we were making a personal choice and they didn’t need to change themselves because of it. Then, there are others who will wave their drink in your face or work hard to convince to “just have one.”
- I was on 25 planes this year. I didn’t drink at any of those destinations, including 50 cent beers on my birthday in Vietnam. It felt really forced.
- Water is boring. I have one cup of coffee in the morning and that just wasn’t enough to keep my palette happy. I took to drinking a lot of calorie free sparking water because I needed something that tasted. Cranberry and soda became my “going out” drink.
- I am uncomfortable meeting new people and being in groups. I am even more uncomfortable when I’m trying to figure out how not to be an introvert without alcohol. I never did figure out a way to prevent anxiety when going to social gatherings, especially if it was in public and/or they were drinking. I actually had to pass on, or leave early, more events than I care to admit.
- There were quite a few events that we passed on because the price included open bar. I get that we can elect not to care, but paying a premium to be around… well, see previous and next comment… wasn’t for us.
- Drunk people are way more obnoxious when you’re sober.