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I love summer in the Northwest. We finally have consistent sunshine, practically everyone is in a good mood and we all flock to outdoor patios like our lives depend on it. This past summer was no different. I had an exceedingly good time. I also drank nearly every night. It was often just one or two, but still. The regularity of my drinking was making me feel crappy on multiple levels. Not only would I wake up feeling sluggish the morning after drinking, but sometimes I felt the depressive effects of alcohol as well. Not good.
Enter the sobriety experiment. Once the summer was over, I decided to stop drinking for a month. I had sort of done this a couple of years before when I was living in Morocco, where alcohol isn’t served in public. But my attempt was half-hearted and I made a few exceptions, like allowing myself to drink on my birthday.
My boyfriend, the ever-supportive man that he is, decided to join me. After all, we were doing a lot of our drinking together and we often talked about taking a break. So, the decision was made. We would start on September 1. On the last night of August, we made cocktails at home, and then I put the bottles in the basement so they’d be out of sight. I was slightly nervous. Could I do this? Here are some observations from the experiment.
My Brain Wanted a Drink
The number of times I thought about drinking was staggering. The first week especially, I was keenly aware of this decision and it felt like a part of my life had been surgically removed. My boyfriend and I like to sit on my porch and people-watch with cocktails in hand. Suddenly, that activity was out. During the last week of the experiment, I found myself counting the days until I could drink again. Oy.
We Picked a Long Month. Sort of.
I know September only has 30 days. But this particular September started off with a weekend and ended with a weekend. That’s five weekends of pure, unadulterated sobriety. Weekends were definitely the hardest for both of us. Admittedly, it felt like a very long month.
Nature Helped
We spent two of the five weekends backpacking, which soothed my sober soul. Getting out into nature—and away from the temptations of bars and restaurants, made those two weekends a breeze. That is, until we were out of the woods and realized that there would be no celebratory beer. That part kind of sucked.
Emotions Ran High
I’m not the most outwardly emotional person. However, I did notice that I felt more emotional during the experiment. I had more highs and lows. I think it’s possible that alcohol, even a couple of drinks, was dulling my emotions a bit before. I did my best to allow myself to stay present and feel my feelings. While this wasn’t easy, it felt real and authentic.
We Made Mocktails
It’s not that difficult to make non-alcoholic drinks feel special. I even bought one of those ice cube trays that makes the giant cubes. Cranberry juice and seltzer with a lime is definitely not a cocktail, but sometimes we just felt like faking it.
We Delved Deeper
Neither of us is a huge talker, but without the distractions of hanging out in bars or drinking alcohol at home, we did end up connecting more. We talked about death, our families and how our own relationship was going. The result? We became closer, which is no small thing.
We Saved a Lot of Cash
On average, we were spending about $340/month on drinking, and that only included our bar tabs. I also buy booze and make drinks at home, which is probably another $50/month. $390/month times 12 is $4680. Um, I could buy an entirely new wardrobe for that amount.
I Lost 7 Pounds
To be fair, I also cut back on flour and exercised more so I cannot say that my weight loss was purely a result of the experiment. But when I added up all the alcohol-related calories (often more than 500 per day) I was consuming, it’s certainly a factor.
We Turned Down Free Alcohol
One night, we had a reservation at an upscale restaurant in my neighborhood. They apologetically told us that we’d have to wait for our table. The wait was almost 30 minutes, during which they offered us each a glass of “We’re sorry” prosecco. We both agreed that saying “no thank you” to free bubbles was one of the most difficult moments of the experiment.
It Was a Team Effort
I’m really glad I didn’t embark on this alone. I honestly don’t think I would have completed the 30 days without my boyfriend’s support. Having another person to talk to share the experience with was crucial. When I wanted to quit (also known as the moment I was offered free prosecco), my sobriety buddy cheered me on and vice versa.
On October 1 (when lots of people started Sober October), we declared our experiment a victory and broke our sobriety at our go-to dive bar. On one hand, it felt nice to toast our success and sip our favorite drinks. But on the other hand, it was no big deal. In the morning, I felt like crap for the first time in a month. Shocker, right?
Have I lost my taste for alcohol? I’m not sure, but now when I say “I can stop anytime,” I’ll know it’s absolutely true.
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