I had 6 days of company. I helped host a crowd of 15 and also hosted a crowd of 13. I had an open door and a week-long combination of family and friends passing through. Loved ones traveled to Illinois from Colorado, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. There were people aged…

I sent my first weekly newsletter in August of 2019. I had seven subscribers at the time. Two were myself using my other email addresses to populate the subscriber field and set the momentum. The others were my mom, my husband, and a few friends that I asked to add…

I often get asked, “What is it like to go to a sober retreat?” I have had many sober retreat experiences and I’m happy to share my feedback. In this blog, I will be reviewing 3 specific retreats: ​​Brave Recovery Coaching, Sober in the City — Zero Proof Experiences, and…

Alcohol-free drinks can be a helpful option for people who are sober or sober curious. However, the appropriateness of alcohol-free drinks depends on several factors. — Questions to Consider Before AF Embibing What Stage of Sobriety? In the early stages of sobriety, some individuals may find it best to avoid any beverages that mimic the taste or appearance of alcoholic drinks, including alcohol-free alternatives. This is because consuming such drinks might trigger cravings or lead to drinking alcohol for some people. Over time, as individuals become…

It’s been 10 years since my friend Bulmaro Junior passed away. His death was one of three that escalated my already heavy drinking. He was my good friend, and he was also my drinking buddy. We loved drinking together. He lived across the street from me, and we called ourselves…

I did nothing this weekend. I just relaxed. What I mean by that is: I finished school shopping with my oldest daughter Lily. I made two new recipes: a chopped (Kardashian) salad and a strawberry cobbler (for breakfast). I am reading four books right now. Two are on my nightstand…

I went to bed before 8 pm last night. My eyes were tired, swollen, and sore from crying. The dam of tears welling up inside me finally burst when I called my mom yesterday and spoke all my fears out loud. I admitted that I am lonely. My husband and…

It is 2016. I am on a sober experiment, maybe 14 days in and it is the 4th of July. We are out of town spontaneously visiting friends. One of them works in hospitality and got us a beautiful hotel room in a nearly sold out city. When we check…

Some of my best memories are from some of my biggest drinking moments. It’s been helpful to think that my drinking was bad, unhealthy and alcohol took me away from myself. And now that I’ve removed alcohol, I am happy, healthy, free, and all is well. Although this is 100%…