I Am Branching Out

I have been thinking a lot about the many guiding powers in my life that helped me achieve and keep sobriety. I am so very grateful that I landed in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, where I didn't just clean the past, and learn how to live life, but where I met people that just wouldn't give up on me no matter what! SO, I think it is time for me to give back, and among the few things that I have in mind, I have also decided to start a new blog that is more focused towards others, rather than me - a place where people can find all kinds of helpful information, and inspiration that would optimistically encourage them to get sober!


From: Google Images

There is also another reason for my new blog. I have been struggling with the anonymity part of AA, in the sense that although I do believe that it is a very important part of the fellowship and it was the reason I felt safe as a newcomer, I also feel that it has served me it's purpose and I no longer need the anonymity. That is not to say that I am no longer going to be a member of AA - I will continue and I will stay within the anonymity there - but to say that I don’t want to infringe on the traditions that are the core of the fellowship. It just seems that where I am in my sobriety doesn't seem to go well with the anonymity anymore. I am who I am!

I believe that anonymity can be helpful especially to the newcomers, because of the overwhelming stigma that is still associated with alcoholism and other addictions; but this is not a morality issue, this is not a choice of weakness or lack of self-control. No one ever wished to be an alcoholic when they grew up! This is a powerful disease, and I think it is time that these stigmas are broken! Getting sober should be an amazing decision to make for anyone, instead of a shameful one. And admitting that you have a problem and need help should empower people, not make them feel worthless. Sobriety should be celebrated, not kept like a dark secret!

So, saying all this, I have started my new blog, it is called Sober Courage. I hope you stop by!

I am also looking for some guest bloggers, to write posts about how they found courage to get sober or how they are finding it right now. I want this blog to celebrate sobriety! I want it to be the inspiration for others to say YEAH, I CAN DO THIS!

Please let me know if you are interested to be a guest on the Sober Courage blog. You can email me directly at sobercourage@gmail.com. Thank you!

p.s I still enjoy my own ramblings (LOL!) so I think at least for now, I am going to keep this blog going too – well I hope I can, I am feeling a bit like I am over my head here, but I think that is just my ego talking! LOL!

Camping Sober

We are getting ready to go on our third camping trip since I got sober. I really love camping! But camping used to mean a three day drunk fest and coming back absolutely exhausted and then being hangover for days. The drinking from sunrise to sunset sure took a toll on the body and then the blackouts and passing out sure didn't help. OMG. I remember once going camping and telling myself to make sure that I pace my drinking because I didn't want to repeat the events of my last camping trip! - then, that ended up being my last camping trip. Not worth mentioning what happened. Ugh.

When I got sober, I thought, man I guess camping is out, how can you go camping without drinking? Who does that? I mean what do you do all day if you don't drink? Lol! Yep, I thought that!

Then I heard about the sober camping trip that was organized by my AA district group, I was absolutely ecstatic and scared at the same time! Will it be boring? What are we going to do? Will I know anybody? Plunging into new experiences sober can be quite overwhelming without the "trusty" courage in the bottle! Lol! But the idea of being around my kind of people was comforting, as well as reassuring that I will not be drinking. And that was good enough for me!



Our Mega Tent!

This year we are going along with a newcomer, mother of 2 and her husband who is not in the program - I always admire the spouses who are supportive; it's not easy to live or understand an alcoholic/addict - I got lucky, my husband is also in AA.

There are many thing to do camping, which BTW I would have never done on my drunk camping trips! During the day we can go kayaking, swimming or hiking, or just hang out the campsite. And being that this is an AA event there are several meetings a day and a huge night meeting, around the camp fire, that starts at 8pm and goes on till everyone is done sharing... Some 50+ people! Yep, all night long. So we still end up exhausted and dirty, but we do it all SOBER!

Events like this sure make me feel like I am not alone! I am not unique, I am not strange or an outcast, I am not the only one struggling or figuring out how to manage life sober! There is a huge part of WE in the fellowship of AA, and I am eternally grateful for that!