Wow! What a year it has been! I had an idea of what that would look and feel like, but never imagined the transformations that would occur in just 365 days!
I created the High Vibe HEALth podcast and am loving every minute of recording it. It's so much fun! I also started the High Vibe HEALth business with the vision of creating a health and wellness platform for people who are in the same spot I was over 4 years ago. It's still in the beginning stages, however, I do feel this health and wellness concept will help at least one person. It's become my purpose and my passion!
I also began playing in a few tennis leagues before quitting alcohol. Since then, I've played all four seasons and just finished my 1-year playing league. I love playing on my 2.5 teams and being challenged in the 3.0. Singles tennis matches seem to be easier for me, as I love to run after the ball. Doubles has been a bit challenging, but I have learned so much in just one year. Before this, I had never played a sport other than swimming and track. I played softball a little bit as a teenager, but it wasn't my thing. I've never loved a sport as much as I love tennis. I'm so glad I decided to pick up the racquet and try it. It's been life-changing having this as I navigated life alcohol-free. I am always up early and ready to play without that pesky hangover, grogginess, or feeling unmotivated. It's a really magical feeling!
I coached my 9-year-old daughter's volleyball team, The Rainbow Warriors. It was so much fun, and I felt so balanced through coaching these sweet girls. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.
With all the volleyball games & tournaments for both my girls, volunteering with NCL with my oldest daughter, participating in all my teacher training & self development classes, leading sober curious circles, teaching yoga in person, and teaching my very first online yoga classes, I don't think I could have done it all with what I know and learned through the past year.
I also went on 11 trips in 7 countries in 12 months! That is a lot of experiences of managing triggers, moving through thoughts and emotions, and learning what it's like to be 100% clear headed & present with my family.
My first trip was New Years' week in Park City, UT, in 2022. It wasn't at all as hard as I thought it would be. I focused on doing yoga & listening to guided meditations in the mornings. I especially enjoyed waking up early and not feeling guilty or crappy. In the evenings and during the day, if I wanted a drink, I would make a great holiday mocktail. Fre' NA Champaign is actually really good!
My second trip was to Reno, Nevada. My daughter and I went to visit my best friend and her daughter, who happens to be my daughter's best friend, Katie. It was Katie's birthday, and we had a very nice short visit. My friend isn't a big drinker, and I enjoyed a few NA beers for the social experience. It was perfect! I wasn't at all tired and had a surplus of energy the entire weekend. We even went to a hot yoga class at a studio called, The Yoga Pod. Check it out!
My third trip was to Banff, Canada for my husband's 40th birthday. We went with 2 other couples. I had a very triggering moment on the ski slopes as I fell down the mountain skiing. I don't ski, and I've only been a handful of times. I prefer snowboarding and now accept that. Mark my words, I will never ski again! Haha! I learned something new though. I learned how to manage my emotions & navigated through the intense feelings of wanting a glass of chardonnay. It was like the universe was sending me a sign that I really didn't want the alcohol. Something happened; after 15 minutes of waiting, the waiter returned and said he didn't have chardonnay. So I contemplated what I should drink. I decided if I can't have Chardonnay, it's not worth breaking my four months alcohol-free with anything else. I didn't choose alcohol. I asked for an NA beer instead. They didn't have that, so I asked for sparkling water. You wouldn't believe what he told me! He didn't have sparkling water! I was cracking up! I just asked him for a glass of water, and that was that. I was so happy I didn't have that glass of Chardonnay. I would have felt so guilty for not committing to my full year. Bullet dodged!
My fourth trip was to San Francisco, California. We went to see a concert with friends. The concert was my husband's favorite band, Tool. I'm not into that kind of music, but I really enjoyed the show. The visual experience and the overall atmosphere were spectacular! Not bad for my first rock concert and my first concert alcohol-free. We had a private section with an open bar. Surprisingly, I didn't have any desire to drink. I had ginger beer, and that was ok. I shouldn't have had more than one, as the sugar was too much. But I realized I didn't need to drink to have fun at a real concert. It felt empowering!
My fifth trip felt especially miraculous because it was a girls' trip to Nashville! If you've ever been to Nashville, it's like a big drink fest! We had the best time, and I was totally sober the entire weekend! We went to the Grand Ole' Oprey, did a tour of the city on the Green Tractor rides, went to some really great bars, and made some amazing friends! I rode the bull, sang karaoke, and drank NA beer the whole time. I felt like I was participating, but I felt so amazing the entire weekend. I never had that crash or felt hungover. I even did yoga in the mornings while everyone was sleeping. It really was the best weekend!
My 6th trip was to Florida for spring break. It was a very relaxing trip. It wasn't as warm as I hoped it would be. My favorite thing to do on vacations at the beach is yoga in the sand beside the water. It was a bit windy out, but I still did it. We also went to this wonderful zip-line place called Treehoppers. It was a blast! We visited some friends and coincidentally, had family friends who stayed in the same hotel as us. That made it even better! I didn't think about drinking except when we went to this Mexican restaurant on our first night. I really wanted a glass of Chardonnay. I opted for a NA beer instead, and the craving cleared. Overall great trip!
My 7th trip was to Europe! We visited 5 countries in 2 weeks. It was the most amazing experience and my favorite trip EVER! We started in Rome, Italy. You know Italians love their wine. I had a few moments when I quickly thought about drinking,, but I pushed through and was always happy I didn't. Rome is stunning! The cab drivers are a little crazy, lol. The churches are beautiful beyond our wildest dreams, the parks were gorgeous, and overall, it's one of my favorite places. I loved our hotel and what a bonus, it was right across the street from the Coliseum.
Next, we went to Cinque Terre, Italy. There were so many great things to see and do there. I didn't think about drinking alcohol. I discovered one of my favorite drinks there, Ginseng coffee. If you've listened to my podcast, you know I can't drink coffee. I have some really nonnegotiable sensitivities to coffee, so I have to refrain. I tried the Ginseng coffee and was pleasantly surprised to have zero reactions. And they are only 20 mg of caffeine, so it became a ritual between my oldest daughter and me. So good! Cinque Terre should be on your list if you want to visit Italy. They have 5 villages, gorgeous beaches, incredible hikes, and especially nice people! The food was beyond my wildest dreams.
The next place we went to was Bologna, Italy. Beautiful city and has great sights. churches, museums, theaters, and the city is majestic! They had Ginseng coffee here too!
Next, we went to Opatija, Croatia, and met up with long-time friends. It was heavenly, and I cannot wait to come back! The people were the kindest. One thing I appreciated about Croatia is that fewer people drink alcohol. It was very common for people to drink NA beverages there. There was an entire menu of non-alcoholic drinks virtually everywhere we went. I really loved all the NA beer options and mocktail choices. I had a lot of fun experimenting there.
Next, we went through Lake Bled, Slovenia for lunch. This is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to! I really felt out of this world here. Not many people spoke English. Thankfully, we had our good friend Nick with us to translate. Thanks, Nick! I was pleasantly surprised at all the vegetarian options they had on their menu. They also had home-brewed NA beers. They were probably my absolute favorite beers thus far.
Next, we headed to Austria where we spent 3 nights. Our good friends shared their homes with us for the time being. We went hiking on the most beautiful hiking trails in the Swiss Alps. The summertime weather was just perfect. Animals roamed everywhere, and there were organic & more humane restaurants all over the place. We stopped at one particular restaurant overlooking the lake. We ate my favorite meal of the trip here. I had some sparkling water with herbal Elderberry syrup. They placed them in Mason jars and really made it fun to drink! I learned this is a regular drink the Austrians love to have. All the restaurants in Austria had great drink options not involving alcohol, and I really appreciated that. Austria is heavenly!
After Austria, we headed to Munich, Germany for our final stop. Munich was a very special city. For a large city, it was surprisingly very quiet! I loved it so much, and is now my favorite city. I loved walking around, shopping and exploring. Our hotel was amazing, and the girls swam in the indoor/outdoor pool. We even went to an English-speaking theater to see the movie, Maverick. It was one of the coolest theaters I've ever been to. I didn't feel triggered to drink, even though many people were drinking wine at the restaurants. The Hof Brauhaus House was delicious! Both my husband and I had our own Giant NA beer. It was incredible! They must've had 10 NA beer options, so I was thrilled! Funny story, I never really liked beer before I quit drinking. Now, I really appreciate the craft. It's a whole new experience for me. Overall, this trip was spectacular, and it really made me appreciate the alcohol-free life on a whole new level!
My next trip was a trip to Carlsbad, CA for a family reunion on the 4th of July. There was a lot of drinking around me, but there were also a lot of non-drinkers. In the past, I've always loved drinking all day on the 4th of July, so I needed a lot of options. I drank a ton of Pellegrino and Athletic Brewing Company NA beers. I also had some St. Paulie Girl on hand. I normally get pretty drunk or tipsy on the 4th, so I was ecstatic to wake up without a hangover and an all-day headache. Big win!!!
The last trip of my alcohol-free year was to Washington and Oregon for my High School reunion. We ended up making it a family reunion with my side of the family. First, we stayed in Lincoln City in a big beautiful cottage. It was large enough to fit 12 people comfortably. The cottage was right on the water, and I loved walking down to the beach to meditate, do yoga, or take a long walk. It was magical! My family loves to drink, so I still participated in everything. I just did it in my own way. It was a great time, and it was special to be there for my cousin Adam's birthday. It was nice celebrating him and seeing my nephews. I even held zoom sober curious circles while I was there. That's the best part about using online programs to connect to people all over the world.
For the second portion of this trip, we headed to my hometown, Longview Washington for my high school reunion, which I organized. There were about 100 people who showed up to the actual event. We had golfing, bar hopping, and plenty of visiting. I was pretty tired by the actual event, as I was hoping the DJ and food truck would show up. And they did! One thing I was really proud of was getting up on stage to chat with the reunion attendees. That was when I realized I had finally overcome my fear of stage fright. I had been working on that for years! I finally did it! What a relief! All the years of teaching yoga and recording the podcast episodes over the last several months really were life-changing! I didn't want to drink alcohol at all that weekend. I wanted to be on my game and at 100%. That was a huge moment of celebration! And the reunion was a blast!
With all those trips and experiences, I still managed to stay alcohol-free, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't know what the next years will look like, but at this time, I may want to take another year off. I want to work on myself, heal, and create a new me to help others. So here we are!
One person who has really inspired me through my year AF is Alex McRoberts. She is the owner/founder of The Mindful Life Practice and has created a really incredible online social network for sober and sober curious people from all over the world! And when I say all over the world, it's literally everywhere! She has online mindfulness classes, yoga & meditation classes, sober curious challenges, a community of like-minded individuals, and so much more. She also has a podcast called Sober Yoga Girl.
Here is the link to:
She really is the sweetest person, so motivated and inspiring. She also interviewed me on her podcast. Chatting with her on my actual 1-year sober date was so much fun! Here is the link to both youtube and Apple Podcasts.
Here is Alex's website for whoever wants to check out The Mindful Life Practice!
Overall, I am so happy I gave myself this past year to learn, grow and evolve into who I am today. I wouldn't be able to help others if I didn't give this year space for healing. I also know this is fundamental to my overall health and wellness.
If you are interested in up-leveling your health and wellness and want some support, join me on my blog posts and on my podcast, High Vibe HEALth, as we talk all about Cultivating Abundance in Health & Wellness Every Single Day in 2023!
If you would like to chat about it on Facebook, join the group called High Vibe HEALth Life Community @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/680642903173481
Instagram: @highvibehealthlife
Facebook page; @highvibehealthpodcastandyoga
I hope everyone has an incredible and stress-free holiday season filled with love & magic!
And as always, I hope you have an amazing & high vibe day, wherever you are.
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