5 Months Without Alcohol

Before I sat down to write this post, I took a peek at the Weather app on my iPhone and was not too pleased with what I saw (the iPhone is a little trickster with its Sunny + 73 icon for the weather app – I wish that were the weather today!!!)  Instead, it’s currently negative 13 here in the sunny state of Minnesota with a wind that is making it feel much, much colder. 

All day today I have been replaying a scene from one of my all-time favorite movies: Under the Tuscan Sun.  In this scene the leading lady Frances is sitting on a ledge in Italy, writing a postcard to a stranger’s mother (it even smells purple) and eating a bag of grapes.  I can’t seem to shake the image and I think it’s my subconscious’ way of telling me that it is time to travel – now.  I have no trips in the immediate future, but I may just have to change that J  Who’d like to join me??

In some ways, though, I’m strangely okay with the fact that I didn’t have any European adventures planned for this year, because then I would’ve had to struggle with the question of wine: should I stick to my year without alcohol while abroad, or do I tell myself ‘different country, different rules’ and let myself indulge in the local specialties (trust me, I wouldn’t be ordering a Bud Light in any country I might visit!)  But, like I said, no trips are planned so that is something I can ponder another day. 

Today I’m celebrating FIVE months without a drink!!!  I honestly don’t know if I expected to make it this far when I first set out to go a year.  Yes, I had the goal of a year but how many times have we each set a goal and failed to reach it? Not only does this mean I’ve made it 20 whole weeks, this week is special in that it caps off the holiday season!!

I made it through every holiday dinner, party & get-together without dropping my guard and giving in to a big of spiked egg nog – and I couldn’t be more proud!  New Year’s Eve came and went and I welcomed 2014 without a drink in sight – and it didn’t bother me in the slightest!

On December 31^st I went to a work happy hour and refrained from getting a cocktail and then I spent New Year’s Eve night with a couple great friends and enjoyed a home-made dinner with water to drink.  I’ll admit that I didn’t stay up until midnight – but I’m pretty sure I made it to 11:30 (that basically counts, right?? Heck, it was 2014 somewhere!!)

Although it wasn’t the most exhilarating New Year’s Eve I’ve ever spent, I had a lot of fun and I woke up in 2014 without any traces of a headache or hangover – and that is DEFINITELY a good thing!!

I don’t anticipate the next week will be any more difficult than any other week has been; I’ll be just trying to hunker down at home and stay warm!  I’m about a week into Focus T25 and let me tell you – it’s awesome to be able to get an incredible workout in without braving the arctic temperatures of a Minnesota January!!  (My brother pointed out a fun fact this morning: It was colder here than it was on Mars at the same time – yep, that’s depressing.)

I have some very exciting things to share over the next week – be sure to check back!  And stay warm!!