Find Your Sober Glow!

So yesterday I hit my 17 month milestone!

I didn’t really do anything major to celebrate but whenever I hit a monthly milestone I will make sure I make time for something nice that day! even if its just grabbing a quiet cappucino somwehere! Yesterday my youngest was at a party all day and my hubbie was building a fence in the garden (because the puppy has decided he wants to eat wood chippings which are making him very poorly – long story!). So I managed to fit in some retail therapy and lunch with my eldest daughter, which was lovely because we very rarely get one on one time together. So that was my mini celebration!

By coincidence I had also arranged a night out with a group of friends from high school. So I wasn’t celebrating 17 months sober but it was perfect that it fell on that date. Now this is one of those lovely get togethers which would never have happened when I was drinking, purely due to logistics! They live a good twenty-minute drive away in all different directions and we  would have struggled to get a taxi there and back. But now I can quite happily pick everyone up, we can have a lovely meal, drinks and a catch up then I can get everyone home safe and sound before heading back myself.

I spoke in a previous post about how much I love my sober nights out (see Will I Lose Friends?) and honestly I never thought I would say those words! But take last night for example, meeting up with friends who I would never normally arrange anything with, chatting away, reminiscing, catching up on their lives and having a really good laugh! And the best bit is you get to remember it all!

In the past the thought of going out and not drinking just wasn’t an option for me, I have said before I was all or nothing when it came to drinking.  And I also started to get paranoid about getting a taxi on my own, so more often than not I would turn down invitations for nights out. How sad is that really? Now I love my nights out, I actually really enjoy the getting ready, feeling good, taking time to laugh, listen and appreciate my friends instead of concentrating on my next drink and chatting crap most of the night. So my nights out have definitely changed, but for the better.

I have always loved going out and I’m a bit of a social butterfly, and this was a huge concern to me that if I stopped drinking that the social side of things would dry up. But they haven’t, if anything I have more dates in my diary now than I ever have, because I have more options to do things with my friends and family, lunch, meals, concerts, musicals. Trying different places you have never been before because you can drive there. I can say “yes” to so much more! So if you like your nights out but want to cut down the drinking or give up altogether then please give it a go, try a sober night out even if it fills you with dread like it did with me. I promise you its a whole new world and you will never look back!

Hope your all feeling fab and fresh this sunday morning? If not, what can you do to change so that next sunday you will be? whats your experience of sober nights out? any tips or advice for others? or please email me for any help or advice at weightsnotwine@gmail.com

Ooooh and I also saw yesterday on the Sober Mummy (Clare Pooley) Facebook page that Eminem had his 10 year soberversary yesterday, so we sort of share the same date (well the 21st part of it anyway!!) how cool is that!!

Happy Sunday!

Angie xx